Life Unprejudiced
by HavocDistraction
Summary: Slash fic Diego/OC. The story of a sabertooth kicked from his pack due to his homosexuality and keeps it hidden from the herd when they accept him as part of their family. Though Diego seems reluctant about it at first, things began to look up until certain events unfold. AU after Ice Age 3. Warning: Contains explicit content.
1. It All Started With a Secret

**_Life Unprejudiced_**

* * *

Dylan was walking across the icy tundra with a warmth of the sun radiating across the earth. It's soft rays patted gently on his fur, brightening his mood. He smiled as he listened to the soft crunches beneath his paws. He had always loved snow since he was a child. The feathery light patter with each step he made. He could not help feeling ever radiant about it. Perhaps everyone had that small thing they loved, which they carried from childhood.

But as joyous as he was, the saber-tooth tiger traversed with no idea of where to go. He simply carried along the thought he'd find the end of his journey when he'd arrive. A destination known only when found. But such mindless thinking only brought him back to asking himself why he was on such a journey. It was only a few days before since he was kicked out of his pack, when he told everyone of a personal secret he'd kept all his life.

Dylan was gay. At first, everyone seemed to take it easy but after a while people started thinking of him differently. His old friends started to avoid him, though as subtle as they did he noticed. He could always hear the females suddenly talking about him, giving him that weirded out every timehe'd catch their eye. As things transpired further into more complicated things, it was no surprise his father, the pack leader, would eventually have to kick him out for everyone else's own good. As a pack, living with everyone and knowing everyone meant everything. Perhaps after that secret, people eventually didn't know who he was anymore. Or the opposite, whereas Dylan no longer truly knew them.

However, the young saber-tooth tiger remained optimistic. In fact, he felt happier to be away from everyone else. The people who disregarded him and felt ashamed of him were no longer his problem. "A real family was someone who would accept anyone for who they were," he said to himself, and being kicked out of the pack was enough for it to be judged as not. He no longer wanted to regard them as family.

Though he utterly admitted he was gay, he still felt like it was wrong to think about some guy who would sweep him off his feet the moment they see each other. His eyes shining like the stars and would all the worries he'd ever had would simply wash away. As if anyone like that would exist, he thought. He shook off any idea of fantasy and simply walked onwards. But alas, fate had a different plan for him.

* * *

"No Sid, we're not stopping," said Diego, as he led his herd through the snowy landscape.

"But… *gasp*…I'm really… *gasp*… thirsty… *heave*," replied Sid, tired and weary from a long day journey. "I'm _dehydrated._"

Crash and Eddie, two mischievous possums, gave each other a wink and took the chance of Sid's condition. They jumped down from Ellie's trunk, landing stealthily unto the ground. The two possums sneaked up towards the unaware sloth. Crash pulled Eddie's tail where Sid's foot was about to step through which inevitably tripped him without warning. Sid fell down on the snow, but kept his face down for a while to try and rest.

"Guys, now's not the time to pulling any pranks," Manny said scoldingly as he looked down at the twins as they high-fived each other.

"Any time is a good time" replied Eddie, a wide smug on his face.

"Don't you think _we_ won't be able to move if _he_ won't move?" said Manny as he poked Sid with his trunk, still lying with his face down on the snow.

"It's alright. Actually, we're here," said Diego as he overheard their conversation, and noticed the familiarity of the surroundings. He stood between a bit of trees and shrubs which made what he saw unclear to the others. The herd walked towards Diego as Sid finally got out of the snow.

As they walked towards him, they began to see a bright unfrozen lake, surrounded by hundreds of flowers that floated atop the lake. The air was sweet and humid with their fragrance. Their petals swayed to the winds as blue pygmy butterflies danced about in the air. The flowers painted with their own images of beautiful colors shimmered along with the light that touched the surface of the water. In an instant, everyone dropped their jaws.

Trumpeting in joy, a small mammoth leaped around."It's beautiful!" shouted 5-year old Peaches, gazing wondrously at the magnificent scenery.

"Water!" shouted Sid, who would undeniably care less for the flowers and rushed towards the lake and take a drink. The floating water flowers spread across the lake as Sid plunged his head down, causing it to ripple wildly. Everyone who noticed him simply shook their heads.

"Amazing! How did you find this place?" Ellie asked Diego, amazed by the scenery.

"If you think this is amazing, wait 'til you see it at night," Diego replied with a smile, happy that everyone shared his appreciation. "Since you guys loved taking little trips every once in a while, I thought maybe I could take you guys to a few places."

"Good thinking, partner" said Manny, giving him a gentle tap on the shoulder. He then made his way with Ellie down the lake to watch the hyped-up and excited Peaches.

"…partner… huh?" mumbled Diego as he was left alone to watch the herd play by the lake.

"Daddy, daddy look!" cried out little Peaches. Diego sat down on the ground while overhearing the sweet bundle of joy from the distance. He watched Manny and his family spending their time together. Everyone in the herd regarded each other as close as family. But there really was just a difference with being someone's mate.

Diego's had a great life. He has great friends, a family that loves him either predator or prey, but he still felt like a significant piece of it was missing. Something... _more._

"Uncle Diego! Come over here!" shouted Peaches which broke Diego's deep thought. Diego just brushed the thought aside for the moment and simply tried to enjoy the day.

* * *

The herd planned to stay at the lake until at night to see what Diego wanted them to see. It was near sunset, and their excitement was brimming with suspense. But little ol' Peaches couldn't take a little more waiting and wanted to explore the lake as much as every child wanted to explore the world. She ran off from her mother's side and ran around looking at everything she could see.

"Don't go too far, dear!" shouted Ellie as she noticed Peaches started running off. They couldn't help but not stop her from having too much fun, so they let her be for the while.

Like most children would, Peaches ignored her mother's warnings as if they she never heard them, and decided to go even further around the lake. She passed through a couple of plant which she gazed around for a minute before walking on. Back near the lake, she saw a familiar sight.

"_It's a Diego!_" she thought. "_It looks like Diego, it drinks the water like Diego, so it has to be a Diego_". Innocent Peaches never saw a saber-tooth tiger other than Diego before, so he approached him. And since Diego was always kind and friendly to her, maybe this one would the same.

"Hi there!" she greeted from behind him, which made the unsuspecting saber-tooth tiger turn around in wonder.

"Oh, hey there," replied the saber-tooth tiger, taken aback from the sudden voice that sneaked up on him.

"My name is Peaches. Peeeches," she introduced brightly with a smile on her face. "What's yours?"

"Dylan. Nice to meetcha!" he replied. Peaches smiled adoringly at him, making his heart a little warmer from being kicked out of the pack.

"You're friendly!" Peaches beamed with delight. Hey! Wanna go meet my family?"

"Sure! I'd love to-" Dylan said before noticing a pair of eyes watching them behind her. From a force of habit, he jumped over Peaches to try to defend her. The pair of eyes jumped towards him the same time he did and the two saber-tooth tigers met face to face.

Diego stared him down like the powerful he was. "You'd better get out of here, before someone gets hurt," he growled.

Taken aback for a second, Dylan immediately stood his ground."What makes you think I'll let you lay your paws on her?" he retorted.

"And what makes me think you won't do the same?" Diego talked back.

"And what makes me think I could trust you?" Dylan taunted.

"Uncle Diego!" shouted Peaches cheerfully above the negative aura of the two, not catching the apprehension between them.

"Uncle?" Dylan blurted in surprise.

"What's going on here?" asked Manny as he walked out of the thick bushes.

"What's all the fuss about?" said Ellie as she appeared behind Manny.

"Daddy! Daddy! Look! I found another Diego!" announced Peaches as she ran towards her father.

"I'm a... what?" Dylan asked. Diego remained cautious despite the stranger had already averted his eyes from something else.

"Alright, alright everyone. Let's all just calm down," said Sid after appearing from the bushes, pretending he could handle the situation.

"What happened?" asked the twins who appeared out of Ellie's head.

"This is getting weird..." muttered Dylan as he saw a couple of mammoths, two possums, and a sloth, who seemed to know the threatening saber-tooth tiger in front of him.

"This guy here would've hurt Peaches if I hadn't seen him" said Diego, still not letting his guard down.

Suddenly shaking off his bemusement, he turned his attention back to the other saber. "No I wouldn't!" Dylan protested. "I was just minding my own business when suddenly Peaches came up and talked to me."

"That's a likely excuse, and a sorry one at that," Diego replied.

"Unca' unca'! I found another Diego!" Peaches suddenly cried out, her undeniable innocence proving more of Dylan's defense.

"Just… trust me," said Dylan, who looked into Diego's hazel eyes. Passing his sincerity through eye contact, Diego tensed down and eased his glare.

"Fine," he said "But it's better if you leave now before-"

Into the fray, Sid entered with arms waving out. "Now hold on just for a second," he said ",that's no fair way to treat a guy we had a simple misunderstanding over, especially from a tiger like yourself."

"Not all sabers are friendly," Diego convinced.

"Yeah, but we still gave you a chance, so it's just fair we give him one too," said Sid before turning to Dylan. "So what's your name, friend?"

"Uhh... Dylan," he introduced.

Sid grabbed him by the paw. "Well then Dylan, nice to meet'cha! What you say you join us for tonight's event?"

"Wait, what?" Diego cried in bewilderment.

"That's a great idea!" agreed Ellie.

"Hey come on. We don't know even know who this guy is!" Diego reasoned.

"Oh, I'm sure it'll be fine," said Manny, 'punching' his trunk to his shoulder. "After all, he doesn't really seem like the guy who would hurt anyone."

"Yeah, but what if he has a pack?" said Diego, still instigating the fact that he might be dangerous.

"My pack kicked me out a few days ago," Dylan cut in with a pained voice. "By... uh... my own dad."

"What...? That's awful!" sympathized Ellie. "Why would he do that?"

For a second, Dylan held his breath, holding back the truth as he searched for a convenient lie. "It's... uh... complicated."

"See! It's the least we could do!" said Crash, who was also feeling pity for him.

"It must have been a tough few days for him," said Eddie. "It's okay bro, we feel for you."

"Nah, I tried to stop thinking too much about it" said Dylan. "Just gives my brain a head ache-overload"

"Okay okay, fine," Diego gave in. "But only if he behaves"

"Behave? Tuh, I think I'm mature enough, thank you," Dylan remarked, ending up with Diego making an almost silent growl at him.

"Come on, come on!" said Peaches as she ran towards Dylan. She grabbed his front paw and pulled it gently to get him moving. "Come on, Dylan! I wanna show you the flowers on the other side of the lake!" The twins followed after them.

"Sure," he said, leering at Diego as he passed by him. He followed Peaches as she led them back to where they first were.

Diego rubbed his paw down his face. "Are you sure we can trust him?" asked Diego.

"Hey, we trusted you didn't we?" said Manny.

"And it almost got us killed" Sid added.

Diego gave a soft grunt. "Point. Taken."

"Don't worry," Ellie commented. "I'm sure he'll grow on you."

* * *

It wasn't long before night approached the darkening sky. Clouds covering the heavens, scattered all around as the moon hid behind them. The stars started to jewel the night one by one.

During the time they had waiting for the sun to die down, Dylan had been chatting along with the rest of the herd. His stories and cheerful demeanor, which was opposite to what they've experience with one particularly glum saber, had won the friendship of everyone almost instantly. He was easy to get along with, despite being a saber tooth tiger. He's won the hearts of everyone except one.

Though Diego's suspicions remained, Dylan seemed incredibly friendly. No one seemed to notice him being a predator and all. Perhaps because they were already used to having one around all the time.

"What is this surprise Diego has?" Dylan asked the possums while they were sitting near the lake.

"We don't know either," answered Crash. "After all, it's _his_ surprise."

"I bet he's just trying to pull some crazy prank," Eddie popped in.

Dylan chuckled. "I'm sure that's something only you guys would try."

"When will it happen?" Peaches asked Diego who was sitting beside each other.

Diego noticed the atmosphere changing and the wind blow just as he expected. "Wait for it," said Diego as he stood in anticipation, waiting for the event to unfold. The rest of the herd looked towards the lake where Diego was looking at. They anticipated for it as well, until finally, the clouds lifted out of the moon and the moonlight shone across the lake beautifully and the flowers floating on the lake glowed into a vibrant purple color as the bloomed gracefully. After a few seconds, the flowers around the lake glowed yellow, making the scenery even more spectacular than it already was.

"Woooaaah" the twin possums let out as they widened their eyes to what they saw. Their jaw remaining wide open.

Dylan was enchanted by the amazing spectacle of it all. He could see a flower floating near the shore towards him. Dylan tried touching the flower when suddenly the petals broke up and flew in the air like little angels. All the flowers opened their petals and let it float away like feathers into the air. The yellow and purple glowing petals mixed and they flew all around them, causing them to be captivated, making their hearts skip a beat in every passing petal. The event seemed to cause them to feel an inexpressible sense of love and happiness. Manny and Ellie leaned towards each other and hugged each other's trunk, Crash and Eddie danced with Peaches as they tried to catch as many petals in the air as they can, and Sid remained gazing at them as they seemed to be 'dancing' around. Dylan turned towards Diego to see him watching it as well. Maybe Diego wasn't as bad as he thought.

His gaze was distracted with Diego's focused eyes. The way he looked at that moment, it was as if Dylan could see all the good things about him right then and there. Courage, strength, charisma, and love.

Dylan sighed at the end of the thought. Upon having that stray thought, everything led to one after another. His attraction to men, his exile from his original pack, and the pain of having no family. Anyone who know that part about him... would definitely...

Finally, the entire thing stopped in a moment as the petals danced towards the lake and stopped glowing. The flowers remained without a single petal.

"That was the most AWESOME thing I've ever seen!" Eddie bellowed to the top of his lungs. "Not the most death-defying, but it's still awesome!"

"When did you-" said Manny before being cut off.

"I saw this place one time while I roaming around for game," Diego answered immediately. "I came back the next day but the flowers had all died, so I thought maybe if I bring you all here the following year, we might all be able to see it."

"Can we come back here next time?" Sid said excitedly.

"We should!" Ellie said immediately. While everyone was planning for next time, Dylan smiled and bowed his head out of the crowd and started walking away.

Peaches however noticed and ran towards him "Where are you going Dylan?" she asked.

"I'm thankful for everything you guys have done, but I don't really want to overstay my welcome. I'll be fine alone from here on," Dylan said who was slightly disappointed that he had to leave as well. "Besides, I'm not really part of anyone's family.

"Maybe you can," said Ellie. "Why not stay with us?"

"Huh?" muttered Dylan, who turned his head back.

"Yeah. You seem to be such a good person, and Peaches seems to have grown fond of you," said Manny. "I think we do have room for one more in our herd"

"No one ever deserves to be alone." said Sid. "I'm in favor of Dylan joining the herd!"

"Us too!" the twins cried in unison.

"Wait, but I-" Dylan's wanted protests

Sid turned towards Diego who remained silent and expressionless. "What about you, Diego?" he asked.

Diego stayed a bit silent for a while, first surprised, but then turned his head towards Dylan. In a gust of a wind, the two simply shared each others stare. "I guess that's fine."

"Well, I guess that means you're in!" Sid bellowed.

Dylan remained looking at the herd about how much they seem to care for each other. Though Diego was a saber-tooth tiger, they seem to let him be close to them. Maybe this was the family he had been looking for. They seemed so accepting, open-armed to anyone. The family he had truly desired. Dylan wanted to. He couldn't deny it. But he was still insecure what they might think of him when he reveals about his sexual orientation.

In the end, he had to keep it a secret.

"Do you want to be part of our herd, Dylan?" Manny asked.

"Of course!" Dylan agreed without hesitation, a bit teary-eyed that he had been accepted into a family again, finally being able to sleep without looking back at his past.

The herd got around him and started praising him, which made him all the more happier than he could be. Diego got up and walked towards him as well. Dylan caught him in the corner of his eye as he approached him.

"Sorry about the way I treated you a while ago," muffled Diego as soft as he could, that gave the impression that he didn't want the others to hear, or that he really had trouble taking the words out, or maybe even both. The subtle tiger passed through him nonchalantly. Dylan was a bit surprised. After all, he did see Diego a bit of a grouch before. And who knows, maybe he was wrong about his first impression of him too.

Things seemed to start getting brighter for Dylan. But lest did he know his 'happy ending' was yet to begin.


	2. Something Suspicious

It had had been weeks since Dylan had been part of the herd. He grew closer to each herd member as each day passed by. Playing by the riverbank, being the target of some innocent pranks, and chasing away trouble was some of the things he'd done with his time with the herd. Although he kept his homosexuality from them, he still grew close to them.

Crash and Eddie would usually ask Dylan if he wanted to be part of a prank they wanted to do at Sid. Peaches would play with him every once in a while. Manny and Ellie were also as close to him as they were. And Sid liked him, even if Dylan would play along with the twins doing pranks on him.

But Diego remained to be the only one who he wasn't especially close to. In fact, Diego seemed doubtful of letting Dylan into the herd. Dylan could feel that. Something about him made Diego suspicious, but he couldn't quite put it. He somehow sensed something different about Dylan. Unsurprisingly, Manny noticed a slight difference with Diego and approached him.

"Hey there," the mammoth greeted as he walked towards Diego.

"Oh hey," Diego greeted back. Diego sat on a rock atop the clearing where you could see the entire herd camp.

"So... how are you doing?" Manny said. Diego knew where this was going. He caught that certain tone in Manny's voice hinting that he wanted to know something.

"What is it now?" Diego asked, trying to cut Manny to his point.

Manny stayed silent standing beside him for a while before letting out what was on his mind. "So… listen. I was thinking that, you know, Dylan has been pretty close with pretty much… well… everyone besides you."

Diego raised an eyebrow. "Your point?"

"I'm just saying you should go talk to him. It feels like you still haven't given him a chance." Manny persuaded.

Diego sighed. "I dunno Manny. Something's just off about him, like he's keeping something from us." he explained. "I'm just not sure we could really trust him."

"I get the fact that you're wary about him," Manny said, "but is this really about him just being new, or is it because he's a sabertooth, like you?"

"It doesn't matter if he's a tiger, a wolf or some weird furry dinosaur." Diego said. "No small predator risks running without a pack. Who knows if suddenly his friends would jump out into the open."

"Diego, I think you're being too cautious about him." Manny replied. He sat down with a soft thud beside him. "I really think you're misjudging him."

"What makes you say that?" Diego asked.

The big mammoth looked towards his daughter, who was playing along with her new feline playmate. "Sometimes, Peaches asks if she could sleep next to Dylan on some nights, and I say sure."

"So your daughter waking up with all her limbs intact enough reason?" he jested.

"Peaches told me that sometimes, she'd wake up in the middle of the night hearing him crying," Manny explained. "I told her not to tell everyone else and keep it a secret. Something tells me that that person had gone through a lot to be hurt that much."

Diego fell silent for a moment. He started contemplating whether his urge to trust had dulled over or if he just couldn't shake off his suspicions.

"Diego, we're all as close as family gets. If we were to kick you out, how would you feel?" Manny reasoned. Putting that into mind, Diego undeniably would feel pissed off.

Manfred got on his hooves and stood up. "Look, I'm not asking you to trust him all of a sudden. Like we've been saying all this time, just give him a chance. Decide then if you could trust him or not. I'd say it'd be nice to have someone of the same species around. You're both sabers, aren't you?"

Diego thought about what he said, and maybe he could be right. No point keeping tense over something unproven. Since the situation has Dylan staying for the long run, he might as well befriend him. And at now he could prove whether his suspicions were right or wrong.

* * *

"So here's what we're gonna do," explained Eddie as he sketched a schematic diagram of their evil plan on the dirt. "I'm going to distract Sid towards point A. And when he's there, Crash is going to cue Dylan to cut the cord and release the bag full of rotting fruits"

"Great plan, but just one question," Dylan said, "why do _I_ have to cut the rope?"

"That way _we'd_ get to see the look on Sid's face when the fruits fall on him," Crash chortled.

"Aaand... what about me?" Dylan interrogated.

"One day, Dylan ol' friend, when you've done so much pranks with us that we can laugh our minds off just remembering it in our olden years, you might get to see that priceless look on his face," Eddie answered.

"Cool," replied Dylan, though he didn't really know what exactly to say to that.

Crash grinned ecstatically. "Good, now come on, let's-"

"Hey guys," Diego cut in as he walked towards them. "Sorry to spoil in on the fun, but I kinda need to borrow Dylan here."

"Awww… but we need him for - our bag of rotting fruits might-"

"Sorry, but I kind of need him. Right now," Diego said _convincingly_. "How about it Dylan?"

Dylan was actually surprised when Diego suddenly asked him about it. He had to admit, he had a little crush on Diego. But why would he not agree?

"Err... okay, sure!" Dylan said. Diego pointed the way as he followed from behind, ruining the twins' plan and were now arguing who was going to cut the cord but not see the _priceless_ face Sid would make. As they got far off from the others, Diego slowed down so he could walk alongside Dylan.

Diego thought of a good starting question to get a conversation going. "So... tell me about yourself. You know, about your old pack."

"Well, heh, where do I start?" Dylan replied, thinking deeply about what to say. "Life was good, I have to admit, but... things started get different… and well…"

"How different?" asked Diego.

"I –uh…" muttered Dylan, trying to avoid mentioning his big secret. "I -err- I don't really want to talk about it."

"Oh," said Diego, and the two walked on trying to think of what topic to bring up. Diego tried to respect Dylan for not telling him, but it still left a sour taste in his mouth for suddenly being turned down from a conversation he rose up.

"What about you?" asked Dylan. "You ever had a pack?"

"Yeah… but it didn't technically work out right for me," Diego said.

"What do you mean?" Dylan continued to ask.

"It's... pretty crazy," Diego said. "Runs in with the whole living with a herd thing."

"I guessed as much," Dylan chuckled. "Can you tell me anyways?" Diego didn't felt as earnest as sharing his story when Dylan refused to tell him his, but since the new saber might even stay for the rest of their lives, skipping ahead of the drama of having to hear the story from everyone else was a better option.

"It all started out on this human raid. They were hunting us sabers to use our skin as clothing, to keep themselves warm. A lot of us were murdered in the incident, and only half of us survived." Diego relayed to him the story about how he met Manny and Sid, how he once sought for revenge for losing half his pack to humans, how he forgot about taking vengeance and returned the baby to his herd, and ending the insane tale of how they turned out to be a herd themselves. Time passed by, and while Diego enjoyed most of the moments he talked about, Dylan listened intently.

"Wow, that's a pretty long story," Dylan blurted out unintentionally and covered his mouth with his paw. "B-but it was great! I mean, it really tells a lot about you, you know."

Diego smirked. "It's okay, I guess it is a bit long, but its actually the best part of my life that has ever happened to me," he said.

"You've got a pretty great family Diego, I'm a bit envious," he said. "You're really lucky."

"Yeah… I guess so," Diego said strangely in a sense that made Dylan curious.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked.

Diego looked at him before letting out what he had in mind "I never really knew how important a herd was till I almost lost them," Diego sulked. "I feel like such a jerk being so careless about something so great. I could never stop feeling so ashamed about it."

"Don't say that," Dylan said. "I may not have known you for too long, but I'm pretty sure you're a good person inside. People are mostly different inside than out. At least, that's what my mother told me."

"Like all good mother's would," Diego grinned. "She sounds like a good mom."

"Yeah... I'd like to think that," Dylan replied. "I... uh... never really knew her that much."

"Really? Why, what happened?"

"My mother died back when I still just a cub." Dylan explained. "It was mostly my father who did the parenting."

"You're... mother died?" Diego asked.

Dylan glanced down. He tried to keep a fake smile on his face. "Yeah... funny how I could still think about her."

Diego thought about what he said. People _were _mostly different inside than out. Manny wasn't really a complete grouch as he first saw him. He was pretty sensitive, and he lost a big part of him back then. Sid was… well… Sid. A big lazy coward with a big who knows what. Maybe Dylan wasn't as bad as he might think of him as well.

"I'm sure she's still watching over you, wherever she is," Diego said.

Dylan looked towards him, and the fake smile turned real instantly. "Gee, that's really sweet of you," he teased.

"Heh, guess so," replied Diego. "Well, at least I'm not as much of a jerk I thought I was."

Dylan glanced up at the sky and saw it was clear and cloudless which reminded him of something long ago. He saw the peak of a familiar mountain and gave him an idea. "Hmmm… maybe," teased Dylan playfully.

"What's that supposed to mean?" said Diego. Dylan smiled mischievously and ignored him as he ran ahead of Diego.

"Come on! I want to show you something!" he shouted far ahead of him.

"Don't you think we should head back?" shouted Diego, stopping in his tracks.

"This'll only take a few minutes!" Dylan shouted on. Diego complied and ran towards him.

The two hiked a mountain as Dylan led Diego the easy way up. Diego didn't know what Dylan was thinking, but he trusted Dylan enough to see just what he wanted him to show. It wasn't like Dylan was going to push him off the cliff any time he wanted. "I hope you know what you're thinking," said Diego in a tired tone. Dylan reached out his paw to pull him up a steep rock. He didn't give him any reply or answer all the while they were climbing. Dylan simply smiled and kept onwards leading the way.

Finally, after a few minutes of hiking and climbing, the two were almost out of breath. Dylan walked towards the cliff edge and gestured Diego to do the same. Diego walked towards his side to see what it seemed to be an entire world beneath him. Rivers seemed like little puddles, the trees like grass swaying gently across the wind, and all the living creatures seemed like ants. He could see the from edge to edge the walls of ice that surrounded the landscape.

"I used to go on these wild trips alone that got me in trouble with my dad a lot. I found this place in one of those trips," Dylan explained. "I guess this is thanks for letting me see the flowers on the lake that day."

Diego was breathless from the sight he that he saw. A mix of vertigo and awe flushed around him. The wind blew relentlessly against their fur, which made them feel like they already were on the top of the world.

"Here is what I think is the best part," said Dylan, raising his chin up to see the azure blue sky stretching across the horizons. It was as if they were close enough to touch the clouds that ran across. They could see snowflakes falling right from the clouds. Diego looked up to see it and he was in even more awe than before. "It's like wherever you go, you'll always see the sky at the end of that horizon, and onwards beyond that. It showed me that wherever I was, I would always be free if I let myself."

Diego pondered on what he said. Maybe he was free like the birds that soared through the sky weightless from all limits. They stood there until the sun died down in the horizon, and they watched every moment of it dying downwards.

Dylan and Diego walked back to the camp in the middle of the night, unaware of how long they had been talking to each other. They talked to each other about stories as they went back and found the rest of the herd already asleep.

"Wow, we've really been gone for a long time," Dylan commented.

"Well, yaaawwwwnn, we'd... better get some rest too," whispered Diego sheepishly.

"Uh huh," Dylan agreedas he walked to a nearby tree and sat down. He began to close his eyes when Diego suddenly sat down beside him.

"You don't mind, do you?" Diego said as he laid down beside him.

"N-no no no not really I don't mind, not one bit," Dylan jittered. Diego went on ahead and slept as Dylan felt nervous of being so close to him. He didn't want anyone to know about his sexuality. But Dylan couldn't help feeling a little warmer than normal.

"Well, goodnight then," Diego yawned, before dozing off into sleep.

"…goodnight," muttered Dylan who, in his current position, could hardly fall asleep. He tried to sleep, but the thought of Diego laying down right beside him just made things difficult. He could feel his warmth radiating across his fur. He turned to face the other side. He could hardly even focus.

"_Come on just go to sleep you stupid brain!" _Dylan shouted in his mind, "_Stop overthinking so much!_"

* * *

Diego was still sleeping the next morning until he whiffed a familiar obnoxious scent in front of him which eventually caused him to wake up. He opened his eyes to see the odorous sloth smirking at him.

"What do you want, Sid?" asked Diego, trying to wipe the unpleasant odor off his nose.

"Looks like you had a great time with Dylan last night," Sid said grinning.

Diego yawned and stretched his legs. "Yeah, guess he's not as half as bad as I thought."

"That's great!" said Manny, who was behind him all along as well. "You've finally gotten to know each other."

"I dunno," Diego replied, popping his left neck and moving to the right. "There's still something different about him, but I guess he's not dangerous or anything."

"Well, what matters right now is that you're finally friends with him," said Manny. "So, any plans on the two of you going on a hunting trip together?"

"Wait what?" Diego said suddenly in bewilderment. "Why would I want to do that?"

"Oh come on, Diego," Sid encouraged, bringing his face close enough that Diego put his paw over his face and pushed him away. "You're both tigers! You guys should be a lot closer to each other."

"Wasn't _one _roundabout trip enough?" Diego said while popping some loose joints. "I already gave him a chance like you guys kept telling me to."

"That's no reason not to know him better!" the sloth persuaded. "Just _one _hunting trip."

"Bwuh- No!" Diego dejected..

"Not even for a little bit?" asked Manny.

"Yeah, Diego. You're both predators. When was the last time you ever had a hunt with someone else?" said Sid.

"I thought hunting together was what tigers do. Wouldn't it be easier if you guys work together?" Manny added.

"Can't you guys stay out of my business?" Diego grimaced. Manny spotted from the corner of his eye Dylan walking towards them.

"How about if _he_ asks _you?_" Sid mentioned.

"What?" said Diego before a voice suddenly came up from behind.

"Hey guys," Dylan greeted with a smile on his face before turning his head directly towards to the other saber-tooth. Manny and Sid gave each other a fist bump (with Manny's trunk of course). "Hey Diego. Uh- I know we haven't known each other long enough. But... I was wondering if you wanted to, you know, go hunting with me. It'll be easier if we work together and all."

Diego was astonished and glanced at Manny and Sid to see them grinning in the background, secretly giving each other a high five. Diego sighed and rubbed his paw down his face.

"Fine."


	3. Just a Hunt, or a Date?

_A/N: Revised Edition, with less Dylan Sue and more character development.  
_

* * *

"_What am I doing?_" Dylan thought. "_Taking Diego on a hunting trip? Am I completely out of my mind? If everyone knew I was gay, this would make things pretty suspicious._"His thoughts did not help masking his anxiety while they prowled for prey. "_And if they did know... Diego probably might not have even agreed to this in the first place..."_

But he could not help but feel incredibly happy that he accepted. Though Ellie just suggested it to him, he was still full with joy that he could spend more time with Diego. Of course, he tried to keep his giddiness inside so Diego won't find anything wrong. He started to have a dangerous liking to him. "_I know it's wrong to feel like this but still..._"

Unfortunately, he couldn't stop thinking about it, so…

"Focus!" shouted Diego before Dylan tumbled down and rolled on the ground. The boar noticed immediately and kicked its hooves away in retreat.

"Whoops. Sorry," he apologized.

"I thought you knew how to hunt!" Diego scolded, going up to him and leaving their would-be prey of a boar fleeing in fear.

"Yeah, but back then we had strategies and tactics. One went around while the other leads it into a trap. Stuff like bait and switch," Dylan replied. "I always hunted with the pack before. I'm not used to just chasing, usually there's cornering, ambushes, and stuff like that"

Diego grunted. "Then you'd better get used to it. 'Cause remember you're not in a pack anymore."

"Gee, thanks for reminding me. And its easier said than done," said Dylan. "Why won't you just help me? I mean, we can eat off the same meat anyways. We're practically friends."

"Friends, sure, but we're not exactly mated to each other, aren't we?" Diego commented, walking off from the bushes in search for other animal trails.

"Uh... right." Dylan blushed from behind with the thought of them together suddenly popping in his head. "But we're still too sabers both looking for food. We're not exactly a pack but I'm sure sharing isn't an issue here."

Diego contemplated for a moment. "I don't know. I'm kind of not used to that anymore," Diego said, picking some shredded bark by a tree. Judging by the texture, a deer rubbed its antlers here almost not too long ago. "I've been hunting by myself for too long, I guess I've forgotten working together like a pack."

The two looked again for a suitable hunt that would satisfy their stomachs. The two worked together piecing the clues and following the deer trail. With a bit of teamwork and luck, they spotted the deer not too far from their position. The deer stood on higher ground, but the shade within the trees and bushes gave them enough cover to remain hidden. A deer all too familiar to Diego. It was the same deer Diego chased after a few years ago, and still remembered how much he gloated at him. Those familiar white spots on his fur that he know imagined plunging his fangs into.

"_Let's see who's out of shape now,_" thought Diego as he glared angrily at the deer in the bushes. His claws contracting onto the ground.

"Uhhh… Diego…?"whispered Dylan as he noticed Diego's odd expression. "Why do you look so angry?"

"Don't interfere with this one," whispered Diego back. "I'm gonna **rip** his throat off myself."

Dylan noticed how serious he was and backed off a few inches away. Diego prowled in the grass to try and get an edge on that wretched deer. The deer felt a bit cautious as he raised his head watching out for prey, but Diego remained calm and kept his cool as he remained stealthy. He made his way around toward a ready enough position.

Finally, Diego jumped up in surprise of the deer, making the deer yell. However, the deer reacted fast and got out of position swiftly. The two began another high speed chase like before, and this time, Diego showed no sign of fatigue or whatsoever. The deer looked back to see him recognize him as well.

"You again? I thought you've already given up on hunting with that sorry display of a chase you gave!" the deer taunted.

"Let's see what happens when I sink my teeth into that loud throat of yours," Diego grimaced. The sabertooth was finally catching up to him closer and closer. He almost felt the tip of his fangs about to plunge into the tough juicy meat he'd been craving to bite for so long.

However, the deer made one long hurdle over the log. In an attempt to chase after him, Diego jumped up but only ended with a shorter leap. The deer's long powerful legs gave it enough boost to jump over deep mud pool. of which Diego was now inconveniently dripping in. The deer looked back to see him trapped in a pool of mud and shouted an insulting laugh.

The deer walked towards Diego and once again gloated at him. Diego tried reaching his paws towards him but the deer simply kept his distance enough.

"Haha! My hooves are burnin' baby they are burnin! Gotta work on your jump there- aaah!" the deer would have gloated a lot more when he caught a glimpse of another saber making his way towards him, making him dash away in fright.

Dylan got on top of the log and jumped over the mud pit Diego was sunk in. "Do you still want me to stay out of it, or should I give chase while you take a relaxing mud bath?" Dylan teased, bathing in laughter with the irony of the moment.

"Whatever," Diego said glumly, slightly annoyed at his comment. All the more frustrated that the deer got away from him again. Dylan rolled his eyes and stretched his paw out towards him.

"Come on, grab my paw. I'll help you out," Dylan smiled. Diego looked at him first before discreetly reaching his arms out. He mischievously grabbed on Dylan's paw and tugged him towards the pool of mud.

"Whoa!" Dylan shouted before falling in. He spewed out bits of mud and water and spitted out more to try and get rid of the taste. The gooey wet mud stuck on his fur, dragging his fur down and making him look ridiculous. Diego laughed at him as he tried shaking off the mud from his mouth. Dylan threw some more mud on Diego's face, making him spew out mud out of his mouth as well. The two grinned and started throwing mud at each other. They played in the mud a bit longer before finally helping each other out of there.

Dylan scooped off some of the excess mud on his fur. "Well that was fun," he said, finally out of the mud pit, but still covered in the grimy dirt.

"Yeah, but we still got to catch at least something to eat," said Diego. "I'm starving."

Dylan raised his paw and shook of the mud off the tuft of fur on his elbows."Maybe after we clean all this mess first," he suggested.

Diego looked at himself, realizing he was in the same state as he was. "Right. Come on, I know a pond not too far from here," said Diego as his muddy companion followed him.

* * *

The two reached the pond Diego told about. It was considerably large, and was placed with a nice waterfall from the downstream river. A short meter away and Diego took a running start and jumped into the water. A large splash afterwards and Diego swam up to the surface all clean and tidy.

"Come on! The water is fine!" shouted Diego as Dylan slowly approached the pond. All traces of mud gone into the water, making it a bit more murkier.

"Do you love water so much?" Dylan shouted back from the river bank. "You look like you were born a beaver or somethin'."

"Just get in!" shouted Diego. Dylan cautiously approached the pond closer and looked at his reflection all muddy and gross. It's not that he didn't like water; he just never had the fondness for it as much as every tiger in the pack. "Come on, nothing to be afraid of!"

Dylan breathed out a bit of air before slowly getting into the water. His paws felt the cool temperature of the water. He walked through the shallow part of the pond before it started getting deeper until he had to swim. He drastically pushed his legs to keep himself from sinking. Dylan didn't know how to swim, nor even float. Diego saw him desperately trying to swim his way to him. He rolled his eyes and swam up to Dylan.

"Here, let me help you there," Diego said as he got near Dylan. Their wet fur touched each others and Dylan felt a bit distressed by the feeling. Diego's somewhat rough fur rubbing against his. He once again overthought about everything and almost made him blush. "Just relax and stay calm. Keep your legs apart so you wouldn't sink."

Dylan simply nodded. His thoughts were mixing between following his instructions and the peculiarity of the situation.

"This is what Sid taught me," Diego tutored, trying to show Dylan their paws underwater. "Just do it like your _stalking _your prey." Dylan gave him a look, looking at him as if he was crazy. "Just trust me. Just claw, kick, claw, kick" he said as he showed him underwater. "Like this. Claw. Kick. Claw. Kick. Claw. Kick." Diego said as he swam around him.

Dylan could hardly hear his voice just by the thought of how near Diego was to him. For a simple crush, he was exaggerating things too much. He tried to filter his thoughts out and focused his attention towards him. He followed the way he did it.

"Claw. Kick. Claw. Kick." muttered Dylan to himself as he clumsily tried to follow at first. But after a while, he got used to the motion, and before he knew it he was laughing in joy that he was doing it. "I'm doing it! Haha! I-I'm swimming!" he said, almost as if he couldn't believe it himself.

"There we go. Now try practicing a bit before we get out-" said Diego before suddenly a splash of water hit his face.

"Who said we're getting out so soon?" said Dylan. "Let's have a race".

Diego shook his head to remove the water. "I don't think you can race with me just n-"

"Or are you a chicken?" Dylan taunted.

Diego scoffed. "Heh, are you seriously challenging me? Whatever, if you're clean let's just get out of here and-"

"Bock bock buckock!" mocked Dylan, and Diego finally reached the limit of his temper.

"Oh, so you wanna have a race? Fine, let's have a race" Diego intimidated, finally giving in.

"You're on," Dylan replied with a wide smug on his face. The two got to one corner of the pond. "Race you to the other side!"

"On the count of three," said Diego. "One, two-"

"Three!" said Dylan immediately after Diego counted two as he stroked quickly forward, giving him a head start. Diego started behind him, swimming with all his skill. Dylan barely got the hang of it just yet, but Diego had surpassed him with too much experience. It was no surprise Diego managed to swim ahead of him despite his head start. Diego got to the corner of the pond and out first and gloated in victory as Dylan swam towards him.

"Hah! Was I too fast for ya'?" chuckled Diego, shaking the water off his fur. He purposely flicked his tail so water would splash onto Dylan's face.

"Were you saving that statement for your _deer_ friend?" Dylan teased, getting out of the pond as well.

"Oooooh, zing. Feel like you were trying to get me to say that in the first place," Diego said.

"Maybe," Dylan replied and the two uttered a little chuckle before they broke out once again in laughter.

By the end of the day, the two finally managed to catch a boar in which they shared in eating. They enjoyed every tender bite from each others hard-earned work. Dylan and Diego worked together to catch it, and they enjoyed each others company as they feasted at the juicy fat of the boar.

* * *

After dining to the heart's delight, the two rested on the soft white snow as they looked up the sky and watched the stars shining brightly above them.

"Man, has it been a long time since I spent some good fun time with another saber!" Diego said, rubbing his a full stomach.

"Yeah... me too," uttered Dylan. "_Nothing this fun since ever though..."_

"Hey look!" said Diego in excitement as a bright light streamed across the dark night sky. "A shooting star! Make a wish!"

"What?" Dylan said surprisingly.

Diego punched him on the shoulder. "Just do it!"

Dylan didn't know what to wish for. Truth is, after today, he couldn't even be happier. It was like the perfect day; Lots of fun, a bloated stomach, and Diego.

"_Diego…_" thought Dylan. He had to be careful. Diego was the best friend he ever had, and he didn't want to lose him. He never had anyone else who he would actually call his "best friend". It wasn't just because he had a crush on him, but because they were as close as siblings. He wanted to keep the bond he shared with him intact.

Maybe he should've kept it all a secret. Maybe he never should have told everyone in his pack in the first place. But then again, he may never have met Diego and the rest of the herd. Truth is, he never was treated anything better even before he admitted to everyone in his pack he was gay. He was never open to any guy about it, or any girl. He never had any close friends. His father seemed a bit disappointed in him. Dylan's entire world seemed like it always was just black and white even back then.

Perhaps everything wouldn't be like this, had...

Dylan thought of his earnest wish, not wanting Diego to hear it. But the perceptive sabertooth tiger knew what he was doing.

"So what did you wish for?" Diego asked earnestly.

"I'm not gonna tell you," Dylan replied, smirking in the background.

Diego rolled his eyes and punched Dylan's shoulder once again. "Come on just tell me!"

Dylan sighed and thought about what else he could actually wish for. "I wish my mother was still alive."

"Oh…" Diego muttered, regretting about opening it up in the first place. "Sorry… I…" Dylan could see his discomfort written all over his face.

"Nah, don't worry about it. It's fine. It's pretty stupid I guess, but its just wishful thinking." Dylan said. "I'm probably too old to still be thinking like that."

"She… must have meant a lot to you," sympathized Diego.

"Yeah… a lot," Dylan smiled, staring at the stars shining in the black never-ending sky. "I'm just kinda wondering how everything would be like if she'd never... well... anyways, what did you wish for?"

"More succulent MEAT," Diego said subtlety, gesturing his paws in the air imagining he could hold the meat in them. Diego looked towards Dylan to see him giving him a look saying _you've got to be kidding me_ that made Diego chuckle about it. "Kidding. Just kidding."

"Seriously, what did you wish for?" Dylan asked.

Diego thought about it. What else could he wish for? He has a great family. Great friends. A mate? Nah, he thought maybe he wasn't prepared for that just yet. Commitment really wasn't his things in the past either.

Thinking of his past brought a certain topic back in his mind. His old pack; Soto, Zeke, Oscar, and Lenny. Would he want to be with that old pack of his again? Thinking of them he was reminded of that human baby, Pinky. His mother… Pinky's mother. Maybe if he could stop him from ever making her jump, that human baby's life might have been better. Then again, he might never have met Manny and Sid, and eventually Ellie and the twins. And even Buck, that mad old weasel.

"Maybe... maybe this was all just meant to be."

"What?" Dylan asked, wondering what he meant.

"I mean, I know it's tough that things have happened in the past, but its not like they weren't for anything." Diego said. "Think of how things would be if anything we regret back then never happened. It'd be different, but would it certainly be better?"

"I... never thought about it that way..." Dylan muttered, feeling much better now. "I... thank you, for telling me that."

"No problem." Diego smiled as he went back to stargazing.

So... you really don't have any wishes?" Dylan pestered. "Not even one?"

"...meat?" Diego joked.

"You're hopeless," Dylan replied before the two looked at each other and laughed more than before. "If only you'd be a lot more _serious_, chicks will be digging you."

"Serious?" Diego bewildered. "I'm the most serious person in the world. Just ask Manny. And besides, I'm single by choice."

"By choice, huh?" Dylan said. "Well, I guess it might not be too hard for you to get a mate. After all you are dashing, brave, smart, strong-"

"Is that some sort of confession?" Diego cut in.

"Wh-what?" Dylan mumbled before realizing what he had just said a while ago.

"Hehe! Gotcha' there!" Diego once again joked, grinning in laughter.

If Diego had been looking at him, he'd most certainly noticed the flushed ears. Dylan was blushing hard enough to melt the ice caps. Dylan laughed a bit along to try not to make it look like he was serious. Afterwards, he let out a deep sigh of relief Diego didn't take it too anywhere seriously. The two shared on stories about their childhood and joked about a lot of things before the two realized they've drifted off into sleep.


	4. Nearly Letting Go Of Sanity

_A/N: Revised edition. More detail on environments and immersive descriptions.  
_

* * *

The world froze the moment he was with him. The gentle winter breeze sent a soft chill across his fur, but was later covered by the feel of the powerful saber's paws tracing over his body. Diego wrapped his arms around Dylan, knowing how much he loved enjoying his warm touch. Dylan earnestly wished that moment would stay forever. It felt like all his life he was waiting for this one moment to come... and now he was in it. And it felt like more than just a moment or a second passed. He was drowning in an eternity of love.

He felt safe. He felt comfort. He felt loved. It was like they were the last two tigers on earth, and that no one else was there to say anything about them. No one who would bat an eye the other way, or kick him onto the dirt. Right now they were together. That was all that mattered to him. Everything didn't matter as much as they did to each other.

Dylan looked at Diego, and he stared back with those dashing hazel-colored eyes. The two leaned their lips closer towards each other until-

* * *

Dylan gently opened his eyes to see the dreamy saber-tooth sleeping face-to-face with him. The saber remained aghast, speechless and astonished without making a single movement as he kept staring into Diego's gentle sleeping face. Dylan stayed shocked for the moment when suddenly Diego yawned, causing him to flinch and involuntarily jump up in surprise.

The proud sabertooth let out a long yawn, rubbed his eyes before finally opening, and sat up to see Dylan's surprised face. "Huh? What?" Diego asked. "Did… something happen?"

"Oh n-n-no! No, no, nothing. Nothing happened!" Dylan jittered nervously, faking up a smile. Diego looked at him wonderingly but shrugged it off.

Diego got up and did a little bit of stretching. "Did I oversleep? How long was I out?" he asked as he popped his neck.

"A-actually, I-I just got up too," Dylan replied, slightly blushing about the thought of how close he probably was to him while they slept.

Diego made one long stretch on his front legs until a few bones popped cracked. "Oh," he said lazily, before looking around their surroundings. "Think we got carried away and slept too far from the herd. Maybe we should head back before they start getting worried."

Dylan simply nodded, still blushing from his entire experience. "_And my dream was just getting good too," _he thought before snapping out of some sort of trance. "_Wait a minute… what?" _Diego walked past Dylan, and Dylan could feel a slight hint of nervousness. This really was getting dangerous for him, if his emotions got the best of him, it might end up badly for him. He breathed, took out a large sigh before following Diego back to the herd.

* * *

The saber-tooth tigers had arrived back to the herd exactly when the sun had already risen above the horizon. Diego and Dylan didn't seem to talk much on the way back. Diego would try initiating a conversation, but Dylan didn't felt like replying much, in a desperate attempt as not to say something unexpected. Like always, he overthought about almost everything, leaving him thinking about it over and over.

"They're back!" shouted Peaches as she saw the two sabertooths approach towards camp.

"I told you guys they'd be fine," Eddie hissed towards Ellie as the Diego and Dylan approached. "They _are_ tigers."

"Well, I guess at least nothing bad did happen to them," Ellie said.

"Hey guys!" bellowed Diego from a distance. "Hope we didn't make you worry!"

"Where were you guys?" asked Sid, who in Dylan's opinion was perhaps smelling a bit fouler than the day ago. Maybe the fungus in his fur were starting to grow.

"Me and Dylan were out hunting and we kind-of got carried away with things," Diego replied. "I guess we got too tired, so we went ahead and crashed the night in the woods. Right, Dylan?"

Dylan was still in deep thought. Sleeping with someone you had a crush on, who might be straight and worse, could even be homophobic. Dylan wasn't sure if it was okay spending more time with him. If this went on, he might eventually get kicked out again.

No… Dylan didn't want that. Not again of course. And this family certainly made him look up on things. Perhaps it was he'd just forgotten himself. He couldn't have just been born straight. His feelings for other male tigers were different than what he had expected. It seemed… just natural. He never felt like that whenever females were around back at the pack.

"Dylan?" Diego repeated. "Dylan?"

Dylan took a while before assessing what he heard a while ago and nodded. "_Gee, how very inconspicuous,_" Dylan hissed in his mind.

"Are... you okay?" Manny asked.

"Yeah... just a little dazed out," Dylan replied in a convenient lie. "I'm… just a bit sleepy I guess."

Manny made an odd look at Dylan before going on ahead at what he wanted to say, "So how was everything?"

"Well, for starters. It was a lot fun, wasn't it." Diego said as he turned to Dylan.

Dylan didn't reply. In fact, he couldn't. He felt like the closer he got to Diego, the worse things might get for Diego, or himself.

"Sorry," Dylan apologized. "I think I need to rest a little bit more, so if you'll excuse me-". The saber-tooth tiger walked away from the rest of the herd and lay down in his usual resting spot and tried sleeping it off. As he slumped on the floor of rock, he felt how breezy and cold it was without Diego being near him. "_Ugh, I do not want to think more about him than I already am,_" Dylan said to himself.

Before he could fall fully back to sleep, he sat and contemplated his thoughts. "What am I doing..." he muttered to himself. "I know this won't end well, for either of us. But still I keep..." Resist as he may, the thought of that handsome sabertooth keeps popping up in his mind. He felt like he needed convince himself not to think about him.

_Okay, first of all, he's got too much pride. It's okay to be proud and all but just scratching his pride could easily turn his ego around. _

_And then, there's the fact that he can be a bit of a narcissist. He's pretty overconfident of himself.  
_

_He even has such a short temper! That's definitely something I shouldn't go for in a guy._

_Oh oh! He can even be pretty cold. Oh, but then, he's also got a soft side to him.  
_

_Which is strange, given how tough and steady he looks. _

_And that daring look he has. Sometimes, it's really intimidating, but you can't help but admire that part about him. That strong confidence he has.  
_

_Yeah... and he's handsome to boot. Bet he was popular back in his old pack.  
_

_And that smile of his..._

As he drifted off into sleep, Dylan could hardly recognize what he was thinking off. The shadow of his honesty plunged his true feelings along in his dreams.

* * *

"Dylan! Dylan wake up!" Crash and Eddie shouted in unison as they ran towards him. The drowsy saber-tooth rubbed his eyes from the sudden flash of light the sun shone and got up to see what it was about.

"Huh?" Dylan said groggily.

"The meadow is on fire!" Eddie yelled dramatically.

"What?!"the sabertooth shouted surprisingly. He immediately looked around him however to see everything was perfectly.

"Hehe, got 'ya!" The twins laughed in a riot.

"Haha, very funny..." Dylan rubbed his eyes. "You seriously woke me up just to do that? "Ugh… how long have I been asleep?"

"For about an hour or two," said Crash before jumping to what he had in mind. "Okay, listen up dude," he said as he gestured to make Dylan lean closer.

"We are about to undertake a top secret mission that requires utmost courage and bravery, and we need your help."

Dylan looked at the two possums and saw the excited mischievous looks in their faces. "You want me to help you guys pull a prank on Sid again, don't you?"

"Nope, not Sid!" Eddie corrected. "_Diego_. It's been a while since we've pulled a good one on him."

"Urf…" Dylan moaned. "You woke me up for this? Do you never get tired of doing these things?"

"Yup!" said Eddie, answering either one or both of the questions. "Think about it! Seeing Diego's face full rotten fruits wiped all over him"

"Or rhino gunk all over him!" Crash added with their common banter of finishing each other's statements. "Come on! Don't you want to get back at him for something or _any_thing?"

Dylan thought about it carefully and found out that there was something he wanted to get back at Diego for. He still wanted to get back at him for their race at the pond – even though it was entirely his felt for being humiliated that way. The thought entered playfully into his mind, providing at least something else he would mentally visualize other than those he'd seen his dreams recently.

"I could use the sanity check. I'm in." Dylan said, stretching a grin across his face.

The two possums gave each other high fives and high-fived Dylan's large paw. They secretly made their way to their secret spot where they discussed their plan.

"Okay, here's what we're gonna do." Eddie sketched on the snow a diagram of their devious plan. "We'll be staying at the tree branch here. We're going to lure Diego on this spot right here (pointing to an X symbol) and the moment he's there, we're going to drop down a bag of disgusting sap."

"Where'd you get that much sap?" Dylan asked when they showed him the filled turtle shell.

"From our secret source," Crash whispered. In a sudden flashback, the two were trading some berries to Fast Tony, who provided them with it.

"Wait," Dylan cut in. "How do we get Diego to this spot in the first place"

"Easy," Eddie answered. "_You_ are going to lead him there."

"Wait – me?" Dylan said surprisingly.

Eddie rested his arm on Crash's shoulder. "We've been thinking, and we think you're finally ready for it."

"It's time you've moved up along the ranks of the ways of the prankster, and be initiated as a master." Crash clapped his palms together and bowed down. "Welcome to our ranks, brother."

"As part of your initiation, you'll finally get to see results of your planned catastrophe!"

"That's right!" Crash said enthusiatically. "That's what you've always wanted, right! Now show us that team spirit!"

"Alright, let's do this!" Dylan hopped about excitedly and jumped out of the bushes to proceed with the plan. Little did he know that getting to see Diego's face really up close wasn't really the twins' prime motive.

"He has no idea what Diego's reaction might be, huh?" Crash whispered to his twin.

"Totally," Eddie replied, sniggering in the background.

* * *

"Hey Diego!" shouted Dylan as he ran towards him, half nervous yet completely mischievous.

"What is it Dylan?" asked Diego who was resting peacefully under the sun just a while ago.

"Come over here! There's something I want to show you!" Dylan enticed before starting to walk towards the direction he wanted to lead him to. "Come on!"

Diego had no idea what the big surprise would be, but he got and followed Dylan anyways. Dylan secretly led Diego towards the particular spot until Diego was finally standing there. Eddie gave a signal from the bushes that they were ready and the plan went on.

"So? What is it?" he asked.

"Try holding your breath," Dylan sniggered, trying to hold off any potential fit of laughter for the while.

Diego raised his eyebrow before Eddie and Crash let go off the rope and the sap fell all over the unsuspecting saber-tooth.

"Bleugh!" Diego yelled in disgust as the smelly and sticky sap got all over his fur. Dylan and the twin possums laughed their hearts out enough the squeeze all the air out of their lungs. Diego could hear all the laughs from the bushes that were obviously from the possums. Crash was almost teary-eyed but managed to see the face on Diego. And it wasn't nice, not one bit.

Diego growled angrily and caught the attention of the three pranksters. He glared at Dylan and slowly approached him.

"Uhhhh… easy Diego… easy…" Dylan tried calming him down. But the twins knew that it was a useless attempt as his temper was as short as his patience. "C-come on, it was just a joke-!"

"Ruuuuuuuuun!" the twins shouted at Dylan. Dylan however still felt like laughing but tried his best to try and run from Diego as fast as he could. The two saber-tooth tigers suddenly got into a high speed chase. Dylan was sprinting as fast as possible and Diego kept on chasing him, still glaring at him angrily.

It was like a dream. An insane twisted dream where he was being chased the person he liked, only not playfully but with the intent of hurting him. Dylan knew he probably shouldn't drag him closer just so he'd fall down the edge. But just being near it with Diego seemed to change everything. He didn't know how long they might stay friends. No, perhaps Dylan had already crossed that line between friendship. He wished they could be more, but fear and insecurity just didn't want to risk it.

His laughed uncontrollably still as Diego kept on with the chase. "It was the twins' idea!" Dylan shouted back, but Diego's temper clogged his ears.

Suddenly, Dylan tripped from rock and started rolling down a hill. Diego couldn't see it fast enough and trips as well, following in pursuit. The two started rolling downhill and Dylan was still laughing about things. They both tried to get their bearings but the soft snow didn't provide any friction. The laughs started to get the best of Diego, and his anger calmed towards a mild desire to just punch him.

Dylan landed his back on the end of the small hill, and Diego ended right on top of him. Dylan had his eyes closed and was still laughing - until he opened them to see Diego's eyes staring right into his. The feel of the sap being wiped into his fur didn't seem to matter. Dylan imagined having a moment like this. He just never imagined it to be something this senile, nor would it be Diego he'd be with. And yet in that moment, he couldn't help holding his breath in surprise.

Though Diego looked like he was really pissed off at him, his entire body just wanted to kiss right then and there, all his emotions and hormones were jumping off saying, "_Yes! Do it already!_" Their lips were simply just inches away. The world suddenly started to slow down as his heart raced against time. The more he saw him, the more he wanted to be near him. To be close to him, his body, his scent, his warmth.

Everything that made sense in the world didn't seem to matter anymore. Dylan just wanted to be close to Diego forever. Maybe it wasn't just a crush. Perhaps it developed into something more dangerous and even uncontrollable. That tiny spark suddenly rising to a fire.

But suddenly, in a split second, something got Diego and pushed him off of Dylan with a loud roar. Dylan looked towards his left to see not just one, but two saber-tooth tigers growling at each other.

"Hey!" shouted the mysterious saber-tooth. "Get away from my little brother!"

"W-what?" Diego blurted, who was still dripping with sap.

"A-Adam!" Dylan bantered in surprise. "Wha-what are you doing here?"

Dylan had almost forgotten the world he lived in. A world that could never stop revolving completely in utter madness.


	5. Fears And Insecurities

_A/N: Revised edition. Adam came off forced because he was developed without the further plan of making the sequel. He should be more tangible now.  
_

* * *

"Dylan, you okay?" worried Adam before turning his attention towards Diego. "If you so much laid a scratch on him-!."

"W-wait!" shouted Dylan as he got up and jumped between them. "It's okay, he's a friend. We were just… playing"

"Playing?" said the strong muscle-built tiger, calming down.

"Diego," said Dylan as he turned towards Diego. "This is Adam. He's my… older brother. Adam, this is Diego."

Apart from being a misfit in the entire pack, there was at least one of the people that still acknowledged him - the only son that his father was ever proud of. Adam was a kind and understanding person and it was no surprise everyone in the pack looked up to him - especially Dylan.

He was a talented hunter, modest despite his boast-worth accomplishments. He was wise enough to settle most feuds with either both sides happy or the judgement was placed where it was due. He was popular among the women, winning the hearts of every girl he fancied. He was like the best at everything. He was the best potential pack leader, perhaps capable of saving their entire species. But ever since he admitted to the entire pack that he was gay, even his respectable elder brother couldn't do anything. It was a problem not even the best of the best could ever solve.

"_But… why would he be here_?" Dylan thought as his brother inspected Diego inch by inch.

"Hold on," Adam cut in. "Why is this guy covered in..."

Diego raised an eyebrow as Adam pointed towards him before realizing that he was still covered in gooey tree sap. "Oh! Uh, well-" he said before grabbing Dylan and noogied him hard. "Your little brother just pulled a prank with a few tricksters a while back."

"H-hey!" said Dylan as Diego vigorously rubbed his fist on his head. "Cut it out!"

"Oh so that's what it's all about. Sorry, for a second there I thought you were actually hurting him," said Adam. Dylan as he shuffled his paws under Diego's arm and pushed him away, but Adam immediately took a turn with a noogie. "You scared me to death there lil' bro!"

"Gah, stop it!" said Dylan as he pushed his brother away from the intense pain. "But, just what are you doing here?"

"I came looking for you!" Adam replied. "Ever since the pack kicked you out, I've been-"

"Hey guys look! Over here!" shouted a peculiar voice atop the hill. "We've got another sabertooth over here!"

The three tigers looked up to see the two possums. "Who are they?" Adam inquired.

"The tricksters I was talking about," Diego mentioned before looking back up. Suddenly, the entire herd started appearing one by one up the hill.

"Oh, phew!" Sid exasperated. "I thought maybe Diego would've pummeled him by now."

"Well, knowing Diego, he might have," Manny said, a giant figure that surprisingly appeared in front of Adam..

"Aaaand who are these guys?" asked Adam, his dark brown eyes inspecting them.

Dylan couldn't help lifting a smile. "They're our herd," he answered.

"Herd?" Adam blurted in surprise. The herd started they're way down the hill to greet them. "You know, regularly, us tigers don't really befriend… prey. At least, not to this extent."

"Guess you could say we're exceptions," Diego mentioned.

"Dylan!" Eddie called out. "I'm glad you're still not ripped into shreds."

"Oh, so you were worried?" said Dylan, raising his eyebrow.

"Slightly," answered Crash. "We just thought we might lose our new subordinate".

Eddie instantly hit his elbow on Crash's arm and the two got into an immediate fight as always. Adam looked at the herd and wondered why Dylan and Diego, two saber-tooth tigers, were part of a herd - especially his little brother.

"So guys," said Dylan. "This is my big brother Adam here."

"Heya! My brother wasn't much of a nuisance was he?" Adam said. "If so, I apologize."

"Hey!" shouted Dylan. "And stop treating me like kid, will ya? I'm already old enough!"

"Just kidding," his brother joked "By the way, is he your… you know…" he whispered into his ear, pointing at Diego.

"What?" Dylan whispered powerfully. "No!" Dylan punched his shoulder, realizing how it must probably have looked when Diego was chasing him.

"Actually, he's been a really nice guy," cut in the filth-covered sloth. "My name's Sidney by the way, but you can call me Sid."

"Err... nice to meet you, Sid..." Adam muttered. Sid reached out his hand for a handshake. Adam was reluctant about it at first but just went ahead and reached out his paw and they shook each other's hand. Adam looked at his paw to see it covered with an unknown combination of filth and promtply wiped it on the snow.

"My name's Peaches!" greeted the little bundle of joy. "These are my parents!"

The large mammoth came in and introduced himself. "Hi. I'm Manny, and this is my wife, Ellie."

"Pleasure to meet you," she said whilst shaking her trunk with Adam's paw. Dylan began to wonder how they were very all welcoming, even to stranger 'predators'. But seeing where he was, he didn't really have to.

"Nice to meet you all," said Adam precariously. "You all seem really nice. Glad you'd just go out and trust another saber like that."

"Well, you're Dylan's brother, after all," Crash answered.

Adam lifted his head to get everyone in one big picture. "So, uh… should I ask-?"

"Why our herd is made of a bunch of different animals?" Manny interrupted before blatantly explaining. "Well basically, although we have our ups and downs, this herd has gotten through more things than could ever had alone. We're all together because we treat each other like one big happy family."

"Yeah. We're all a _family_ here," Dylan emphasized connivingly.

"Ouch. Is that how you're going to treat your brother after looking for you for weeks?" said Adam. "It was kind-of hard to track you down, considering how much effort you must have put so you wouldn't."

"You were _following_ me?" he replied. "Why, so you could make sure I'd be a hundred meters away from the pack?"

"Oh, come on don't be like that." Adam said, trying to get through him.

"What did you expect? You really think I'd welcome someone who was part of a pack that threw me out?" Dylan quipped.

From his statement, an amount of curiosity rose up. "Just why _were_ you kicked out?" Diego asked, as the rest of the herd grew intrigued by the question.

Dylan drew a breath, nervously muttering words. "It's... I-I…" Although it pained him to hide it, he didn't want to tell anyone that real reason. He was still afraid. He didn't want to lose another family – a family that treated him a lot better than the one before.

Simply from watching his little brother shudder and jitter in place, Adam could already assimilate the current situation he was knowing, judging that he hadn't told them he was homosexual.

"Th-The Rite of Passage," Adam said as he cut in to provide a fake explanation. "It's a trial that involves a saber's way to manhood. Dylan couldn't complete the trial, and being the pack leader's son, he was banished for bringing shame and disappointment."

The others stood in disbelief. "Woah. I can't believe sabers have things like those," said Eddie after finally ending his fight with Crash.

"We didn't have that in our pack," Diego mentioned.

In a convenient fluid flow of words, Adam picked out a few more lies. "Well, _our_ pack just had a more complicated tradition than yours," Adam continued, stretching the lie even further. "Dylan didn't do something he was supposed to, and the pack just couldn't acknowledgement him anymore."

"That's awful! Just for something like that?" Ellie said in a sympathizing tone.

"So what exactly do you do in that trial of yours?" asked Manny.

Running out of lies, Adam ran out of banter and glanced at Dylan. This time, it was Dylan's turn to bring up a lie. "W-we can't tell you that. It's uhh… confidential," Dylan answered, although less fluidly as Adam had portrayed. "W-we mustn't reveal the secret. It's... pretty shameful... that's why I didn't want to tell you guys..." Dylan tried acting out the shameful look. "Err... sorry...?"

"Th-that's why I came looking for him!" Adam quickly added. "To change the pack's mind. To- to acknowledge him as they should."

Thankfully, everyone else bought it. Peaches cuddled her trunk on her mother's, implying that she wanted to walk back to the camp.

"Really? That's great! Come on Adam, you've got to see our village. It's a lot more cozier," said Ellie as Peaches impatiently lead the way. Diego heard a squishing sound the first step he made and realized he was still covered in gooey sap.

"Uh… you guys go ahead. I got to wash up since some certain _miscreants_ got sap all over me," said Diego as he walked away. The herd let him and started walking in the direction back towards the village. Dylan tried to avoid Adam and walked behind the herd, but he ran and caught up with him.

"Not eager for a conversation?" Adam said softly to Dylan, but Dylan averted his eyes from seeing him. "This herd of yours is pretty astounding. They even got that saber with them? That's pretty wild."

"Look, you did me a favor for not telling them about me, but that still doesn't change the way the pack treated me," said Dylan without even glancing towards at his big brother. His deep scorn and hatred was surging like a volcano welling deep inside of him.

"Hey, I wasn't the only one in the pack that was avoiding you, you know," said Adam.

Dylan stopped in his tracks and finally faced towards Adam. "But that still includes you. At least you still get to be the proud adored son that everyone looks up to," Dylan argued before he started stomping away once again.

Adam frowned, knowing that now wasn't the time to be angry at his brother. "Look... I'm sorry. I was in a bit of shock and I didn't know what I was doing. But I realized that you're my only brother," Adam persuaded, trying to change Dylan's mind. "Dad may not think of you as the same person, but I do. I meant the last thing I said back there. I really want the pack to acknowledge you again."

Dylan walked silently before he sighed. "That doesn't matter to me anymore." He said, in a forlorn tone. "Even if everyone accepted for being who or what I am, and that they weren't all homophobic and stuff, it was time I moved on. I always thought I was just a nobody compared to you. That's why I thought of just letting it out, since I probably had nothing to lose. But I guess I was wrong…"

"But don't you at least miss life in the pack even a little bit?" Adam mentioned, making Dylan stop in his tracks.

"Maybe, I wouldn't know… if it wasn't for this herd," said Dylan as he saw the herd furthering ahead of them. "Here… I feel special. I really am treated like part of a family. I felt visible. I don't know how or why but… I just do."

"But they don't really know who you really are, don't you? And you're planning to do same thing, hiding it from everyone else," Adam said in an almost threatening tone. Dylan stood silent in shock, craning his head down. Adam shook his head. "I knew it."

"Just- just stay out of my business, will you!" Dylan blurted, letting out a hint of his pent up rage. He felt almost threatened.

"I'm not going to tell them about it, it's your secret not mine. But you know you won't be able to keep it a secret forever. I've seen the way you look at the other saber they're with, and I know what it means," Adam explained. "They're going to find out eventually."

"It's better than going back to the place where I was thrown out," Dylan said. "It is better live a lie than a nightmare." Dylan walked away making a clear impression that their conversation was over. Anything else his brother would try to say he simply ignored. "Please, just leave me alone."

And yet… his brother wanted to say it anyways.

"I don't want you to live a lie either..." Adam muttered. He watched his little brother walk away in the snow. He clawed frustratingly at the snow as he turned to opposite way. He glanced back once, feeling so helpless in the situation he's put into. Adam could only walk away in regret.

Dylan glanced back only when he was far away, and saw Adam walking in the opposite direction. Even though he was angry at him, he was still his brother. And at least now he knew he was still accepted by him. He regretted turning him down a bit, wishing they could've worked something out, but he realized that his older brother was better off becoming the next pack leader than being stuck with him.

When the herd got back to the village, everything colorful around him seemed to dissipate into a gray dull color. Ellie looked back to check on Dylan and his brother, but was surprised to see only Dylan looking down at the moment.

"Where's Adam?" Ellie asked as she approached him.

"He… had to leave in a hurry. Had to take care of some things back… home" muttered Dylan as he passed by her. "I'm… not feeling so good right now… so, can you guys leave me alone for the rest of the day?"

Ellie looked at him as passed by and wanted to say something but noticed he really wasn't in any mood to have conversation with him. The rest of the herd was worried too, but thought that the best thing to do was let him do what he wanted for the time being.

After a few minutes, Diego finally got back to the village to see the twins hanging from a branch and talking; Sid being left alone for the first time and was picking off any food he could find; Peaches was idly sitting next to her mother; and Dylan lying down on top of a rock with a long frown on his face.

"What did I miss?" Diego asked Manny.

"Adam looked like he had to leave in such short notice, and for some reason, Dylan seems like he really hit the dump," Manny answered. "He said we should leave him alone for a while. Guess you could already tell that Adam had something to do with it.

Diego thought about it, but seeing how down Dylan really looked, maybe leaving him alone for the while would be for the best. However, Diego couldn't stop thinking what got Dylan so sad. When he tried to keep with his own business, Diego couldn't help worriedly looking over the land to see Dylan frowning from a tree up a hill.

* * *

The full moon rose to its peak, basking in the entire world in a curtain of moonlight. And on that dark cloth were gems of shimmering stars, twinkling overhead. It was midnight, and the herd was fast asleep, save for the two sabers. Diego was lying down near Manny and the others, but saw that Dylan was still sulking on top of the rock up the hill. Out of worry, Diego finally picked himself up and made his way towards him.

Dylan was in deep thought about everything; both the pack and the herd. He once had a family that he honestly threw himself in only to be thrown out, and then he has family that took him in through a lie. Both just made him frustrated, confused and tormented. To the pack, all his rage was focused on everyone. But to the herd, he was only angry at himself, and the guilt he could hardly manage. It might not be long before he gets hurt a lot more in the end.

And then there was Diego. It was getting too dangerous. It wasn't just a crush anymore. It became something more toxic and deadly. It was volatile. It could explode and burn up everything around him. He was undoubtedly in love with him. In every passing thought, Diego would always be the first person to cross his mind, and it was killing him.

"_Why are things just so damn overdramatic!_" Dylan yelled in his mind, shoving his head onto the snow. He wanted to cry, but a series of paw steps from behind captured his notice.

"Hey, Dylan?" whispered Diego in case he was already asleep. Dylan instantly looked towards his right to see the tiger he most ardently fell for. His eyes reflecting the bright moonlight that shimmered mesmerizingly to him, hazel eyes that seemed to shine a bright white. "You up for a walk?"

Dylan turned his head for a while before nodding back to him. It was now or never. Should he let it out and tell him? Or would his secret be the death of him?


	6. When We Face the Truth

_A/N: Revised edition. Tried to make it more realistic to an extent by incorporating more of the story elements. More show, less tell. Removed "background music" (oh gawd I was so childish nyeehee) and made a cool fight scene. Also moved the sex scene (to make room for this chapter).  
_

* * *

The tranquil midnight seemed noisy in Dylan's head. Dark clouds overhead cast shadows that trailed silently across the moonlight. The powerful glow of the full moon penetrated through the wispy edges. The whole world was bathed by a faint white light.

The two smilodons walked through the snow. The distinct whiteness of the snow emanated from the moon's beams. Diego glanced towards Dylan, and tried to initiate a conversation."So… how are you?" asked Diego. "You seem pretty beat up."

"...yeah" he answered. The cold breeze in the air shuffled through their fur. For Dylan, it had been paradise since the past few days. But he felt like it was time to wake up from a dream. Reality had gotten the best of him. It was time to stop lying to everyone, and to himself.

"So... what happened between you and Adam? Did you get into a fight?" Diego inquired.

"No... well, not exactly..." Dylan soon realized what type of words he had just said. None of them rang with truth. His brother's words kept reverberating in his ears.

"_But they don't really know who you really are, don't you_"

"Diego… I-I..." Dylan muttered before the lovable oaf said something that utterly ruined his resolve.

"I don't think it's that shameful, you know" Diego mentioned.

Dylan quickly perked his ears up. "Wh-Wha?"

"You know, not completing that 'Rite of Passage' you have," Diego said.

"O-oh…" said Dylan as a mix of relief and anxiety flushed all around him.

"_It is better live a lie than a nightmare._" For a moment, Dylan made himself think. He could go on with what he had said. He could keep it from everyone. Keep it a secret. No one would ever know. He would hide who he really was for the rest of his life. Deny his existence, and live on with a life of consistent lying.

"_Do I... really want that?"_

"You don't need any trial to prove your manhood. You're a pretty good person a-and-"

Dylan frowned, no longer wanting to keep the dark locks that chained the secret. "D-Diego… It's not that. I'm-"

"I mean, what kind of rite would kick a saber for not being able to complete it?" said Diego as his train of thought went on undeterred, not noticing Dylan's muttering.

"N-no, no. I-"

"And I'm sure your dad was a real jerk, and so is the rest of your pack to just kick out a great guy such as you," said Diego with a bit of spite in his tone, but it only got Dylan was starting to get irritated. "And your older brother seems like a bit of a-"

"There's no Rite of Passage okay!" Dylan yelled, breaking through the heavy chains that weighed him down.

"…Huh?" he blurted, finally hearing Dylan's words pass through him. Diego began to get curious, and he began to ask. "Then, what was that all about? Why were you-"

"Everything was a lie," Dylan confessed. "There's no rite. That's not the real reason why I was kicked out."

"Why were you trying to cover it up? Why are always avoiding it?" Diego bombarded in a series of questions. "What's the real reason why you got kicked out?"

"Because… because I'm…" Dylan muttered, trying to muster up the courage to say it.

"Because you're what?" Diego interrogated.

"Because I'm gay!" he yelled. The words echoed through the chilling night as it resonated in fear and anxiety. Dylan tucked his head down as the words finally got out.

Dylan had finally had enough. He dug deep within himself, not knowing what the consequences might be. It was time to complete his absolution before he would get hurt even more if he furthered the lie. And there it was. He was free from the bondage he held himself down.

"My pack didn't acknowledge me... because they thought I was _that _different," he explained. "They thought that I had some sort of mental illness. That there was no goal in mating with another man. The pack wouldn't survive for generations if people like me would keep appearing. Heh... I guess they thought to remove me to prevent that from happening."

"That's why I kept it a secret..." Dylan looked away as if he was in shame. "I was afraid that no one else would accept me."

"Dylan..." Diego replied. "You... you don't have to believe in what your pack thinks. Nobody has to live a life being told what they're supposed to do. Our herd would understand. You don't need to keep it a secret."

He smiled bitterly with forlorn eyes. "You're really kind. I'm glad you could past what I am."

"Of course I can," Diego replied. "You're a friend."

"But... this isn't the reason why I've kept it this far." Dylan said. "From the moment I left, I knew that. I knew that I didn't need anyone like that. I wouldn't have any problem telling anyone from then on. Until..."

Dylan took a moment of respite, breathing in deep. "Until this wonderful herd took me in. It was the happiest time of my life. But in the end, I kept who I really was as a secret because of one person..."

Dylan stared eye to eye with the proud, crude, soft-hearted sabertooth in front of him. "Diego... I love you." The words that haunted him since he had first thought about it. Dylan closed his eyes hoping the world would just suddenly disappear and all his worried would completely melt away.

"…w-wha'?" Diego muttered. "I-I..." The words echoed through Dylan's mind and made him open his eyes and look up to Diego. And the face he saw wasn't what he would ever wanted. In fact, it became what was more expected.

It meant confusion. It was the same look his father made, before he was completely rejected. Before he was thrown away into the dust. And right now he could that that moment was the same. Dylan was crestfallen.

Dylan thought he knew what would happen next. Diego was searching for words in reply, but he didn't need to hear it. Whatever it was, it wouldn't be good anyways. All those fears he had were true. He could feel a pit in his chest, as if a something tore a hole and took out everything from inside.

He forced himself to smile. "Diego!" he said in a beaming tone, in an effort to mask his sadness. But no matter what smile he wore or what happiness he tried to express, the tears simply kept falling to his cheeks. "Th-thank you for taking care of me all this time. I'm sorry for being such a bother. I promise-"

He took a step backwards, holding himself back from crying out. "I promise... I won't bother you again. Goodbye..." he kicked his legs up and ran away. He ran away the fastest he could. Diego opened his mouth to shout out to him, but he could only stand there. The friend he thought he knew best was gay.

Dylan kept on running, crying. Tears floated away in the air as he desperately ran away from everything. He didn't look back even once. The look on Diego's face to him was clear. He was unwanted, once again. And all because of what he was. It was simply inevitable.

Clouds started to form in the sky. The moon leaving only its white light across the vast field of clouds above. The world became dark and cold. "Wh-what am I doing...!" Diego was hesitating, but his legs automatically picked himself up and ran after him.

It had only been a few weeks since they knew each other. But part of Diego told himself that he didn't want to lose him, that the best thing to do right now was to look for him. There wasn't time to assess or contemplate. . He kept thinking back on those days he spent together with him. Keeping that in mind, Diego picked up his resolve. _"If I don't go after him now... he'll just disappear, and we won't see each other anymore._"

Dylan finally stopped in his tracks. He was tired of running. Running away from everything. He just wished he was different. He could hardly fight back the tears. He admitted his feelings to the first tiger he loved. The gamble he knew all too well the stakes were. And he lost…

Diego tried tracking him down. He followed every paw print he could see in the dark. But even with his superior sight, he could not see perfectly. But like magic, the winds started to pick up, and the clouds in the sky suddenly cleared up. Diego could finally see the rest of Dylan's tracks and followed it.

It didn't matter to him anymore. Everything that made sense suddenly started to disappear as the one thing in his mind occurred to him that that was what mattered the most. Diego had made his decision.

After a while of sprinting, it seemed as if Dylan's body gave up on him. He sat down with tears flowing from his face. It wasn't as though his body was exhausted, but perhaps his heart.

"It'll always be like this huh...?" he said, choking in tears. "I... I..."

Suddenly, a short yet loud growl echoed in the dark unknown beyond the woods. Dylan stopped crying and looked out towards the darkness shrouded all around him.

"H-hello?" Dylan called out. "Is... anyone there?'

Another low growl rang out from the trees around him. He felt a chill run down his spine, knowing that he wasn't alone in the dark forest. He walked backwards as the low growl became a roar as the beast showed itself. A giant beast appeared appeared from behind him. The large bear roared at Dylan and backed him into corner. Dylan flinched as his hind paw hit a wall of rock. There was no escape.

The wild bear looked hungry. Dylan made note of its appearance. Its red eyes being the only noticeable color from its black fur. It stood tall, almost as tall as a mammoth when it did. Dylan just stood there trembling, and the bear raised its arm and slashed its claw at him, sending Dylan in flight. Dylan shouted as he flew and bounced into a thick patch of bushes. A hard branch scraped hard along his right paw and he cried in agony as soon as the blood started to flow.

Dylan watched helplessly as the bear approached him and awaited his moment of despair. He tried getting back up, but his injured paw prevented him from standing. In a way, his wish was granted. He wanted to finally stop running. He wanted it all to end… didn't he? With all the things he could regret, one person stood above the rest.

With eyes closed, Dylan laid there to await his verdict, the moon shone brightly high up in the sky. Dylan opened his eyes to see the moon one last time, when something jumping above the bear obstructed his view.

Diego bit down hard on the bear's shoulder and the bear roared in pain. The bear threw Diego away, but Diego regained his footing and took his stance. Diego stood in front of Dylan and growled angrily at the bear and the two began to have a fight at glares. Dylan could hardly believe it. Diego went after him.

"Diego... why..." Dylan noticed the bear opening its jaws and roared. "R-run! You can't...!"

Diego snarled at it. The bear slammed its left paw downwards. The sabertooth quickly leaped sideways and bit down on it hind leg. The bear roared in pain and immediately threw its claw at Diego. He quickly leaped back to evade his attack. Dylan could only watch helplessly.

The bear went down on all fours and grimaced at Diego. It was snorting and grunting, pulling his large claws against the dirt. Diego kept his eyes focused. The large bear jolted forward in an attempt to charge at the leaner-built sabertooth. But instead of retreating, Diego stood his ground. The instant the bear was within range, Diego leaped up at it and sunk his fang into its shoulder.

The wild bear grimaced in pain. It's injured shoulder lost support on the intended arm, making him lose balance. The momentum built from running prevented it from stopping. Diego pulled his fangs out and jumped over it, kicking it with his hind legs. With all that force combined, the bear plummeted to a tree without a way of stopping.

Upon impact, it slammed its against the hard wood and the snow on its branches all fell to the ground. After a few seconds waddling in disorientation, Diego made one last fierce roar. Sustaining all the pain it felt, the bear flinched and cowardly retreated.

Dylan watched it all in awe, the power and ferocity his fellow sabertooth friend displayed. He noticed a red mark across his shoulder. "You're hurt!" Dylan said.

"Glad to know you still care about me," Diego replied with a warm smile. Dylan sunk back silently, shifting his gaze away. "Can't say I'm feelin' better than you though."

Diego looked down at his bleeding right paw. "You go out by yourself and you almost got killed."

"That's because- I..." Dylan muttered helplessly, lost in what to say between shame and embarrassment.

The lighthearted statement Diego made didn't seem to help with the situation. Diego sighed and walked closer and picked up Dylan's right paw. Dylan cringed in pain, letting out a soft grunt. Without further warning, Diego started to run his tongue across the wound.

"Ngh-! Diego!" The sensation was odd. The shock coursed throughout Dylan's entire body, going on end of his fur in an instant.

"Hold still," Diego said. "It'll heal better this way." But the pain lessened as Diego licked it. Dylan held his breath in as he did it. Diego lapped up the wound until the bleeding finally stopped. Diego put down his paw and looked up. Dylan caught his eyes and found himself staring into it. Dylan quickly glanced away.

"I-I could do it myself. I'm not a kid." Dylan complained.

"Getting into this type of trouble doesn't really merit adulthood, now does it?" Diego quipped.

"Probably why I didn't pass that 'Rite of Passage'," he wittily replied. The light conversation made the two chuckle. Dylan however immediately restrained himself. In a situation like this, he felt he really shouldn't be laughing. Diego let out a problematic sigh.

"...not in the mood to talk, huh?" Diego said. "Not even if I do... this?"

Diego picked Dylan's chin up and turned his face towards his. In an instant, Diego leaned his face forward. Their lips meeting each others' in a warm kiss. Dylan flinched in surprise, his fur and tail standing on end.

After the kiss, he was still in so much shock he could feel every strand of his fur. "Wha...?" Dylan blurted.

"I haven't thought about it much, but..." Diego started to speak, his cheeks and ears still blushing. "I like you Dylan. When you ran I just- I... I couldn't imagine living on in this world without you. I know that I can be crude, I'm arrogant, and I'm far from Mr. Perfect but..."

Diego pressed his forehead against his. "But, is it all right with you if... you stay with me?" Diego kept his eyes locked onto Dylan's, but the latter was too busy looking down from embarrassment.

"_N-now's not the time to be embarrassed. In fact..._" Dylan took a deep breath to regain composure.

"Diego, you've... you've always been sort of my type," he chuckled. "You're strong, handsome..." Before he would lose himself saying traits that were of regular poetry, he picked up the right words to his heart. "But most of all you're compassionate. You've cared more about the herd than yourself. You're courageous - jumping in in front of a bear to save someone like me. And your sense of humor, and bit of arrogance."

"I love it all. You're perfect just the way you are," he said, finally looking up to meet eye contact. He could Diego's face, blushing cutely, perhaps as much if not more than he was. "That's why, in the end, I fell in love with you. I've always loved you... of course I'd stay with you!"

Diego hugged Dylan's head towards the nape of his neck. He couldn't help stretching his face with a smile, grinning like a cat on catnip. Dylan was the same. It was the happiest moment of their lives.

Despite all the hugging, Dylan caught by the corner of his eye a red wound over Diego's shoulder. "Hey, you're hurt." He said, gliding his neck across Diego's. "Hold still." Dylan began to run his tongue across the wound, lapping up the blood stuck on his fur. Diego couldn't help flinching in pain. It was as if he had forgotten the wound was there to begin with.

"For some strong predator, you react easily to pain," Dylan sniggered.

"Sh-shut up..." Diego looked away blushing.

Dylan grinned, finishing up the healing process. But his tongue flicking wasn't done yet. He trailed his tongue from Diego's shoulder to his neck, leaving a trail of saliva behind.

"Hey now...!" Diego called out. "I like where this going but... I really don't think we could... you know, with _that."_ He looked towards Dylan's injured paw.

"That's too bad," Dylan grinned, raising his right paw. "But... I guess that is true. I can barely stand, to be honest." Dylan pressed his lips against Diego's. This time making it more intimate than the first. They had no trouble pressing each others lips despite their large fangs. Nope, it wasn't trouble, not one bit.

Dylan inserted the tip of his tongue between Diego's lips. Diego reciprocated, opening up and letting his own tongue slide out to meet with his. The tickling sensation made Dylan draw his tongue back, but his excited partner lurched his tongue into mouth. Soon enough, they wrapping each others tongues. Diego could taste a hint of blood in Dylan's mouth. As a predator, this further excited him. After a few more seconds, he broke off their kiss.

"Well, now I'm _really_ disappointed," Diego grinned. "Think you could manage walking back to the herd in the condition? I'll help you out."

"I might be able manage but-" In an instant, Dylan remembered one last thing. "Th-the herd. Diego, how will... umm..."

Diego could tell exactly what Dylan was thinking. "You don't need to worry about that. They'll understand." Diego reassured. "That's what makes them special. We understand each other. We're a family - even you and me."

Dylan let out a breath in relief. He himself had always had that feeling, but hearing Diego say it himself made it sure. He could tell them. He didn't need to be afraid.

"Guess we could always just camp out here, like back then," Diego grinned, now sitting beside him. "It'll be fun. We can start our honeymoon tonight."

"It... might be dangerous. I mean- I did get attacked and all..." Dylan scratched his cheek in embarrassment.

"You don't have to worry about that." Diego raised his arm over and leaned Dylan closer towards him. "I'll be right here. I won't ever let anything happen to you."

Dylan smiled. Beside him was the warmth of love he seemed to have been waiting all his life. He felt safe. He felt comfort. He felt happier than he could ever feel in his life.

The two of them looked up towards the moon until they drifted off to sleep. It had been one hell of a night.


	7. The Tomorrow We Face

_A/N: __Extended the story by an entire chapter! I never really got to actually build on Diego/Dylan's actual relationship, so I just HAD to insert this chapter. That way, I could skip going by that concept in the sequel and rewrite it so that everyone who would read this story would accept the Dylan is a better love interest than Shira! Nah, just kidding. Still would be great though..._

_The sex scene before was too vanilla and didn't feel like it was actually Diego and Dylan doing it. It seemed more like just two dude tigers getting it on. I want to expand it to how Diego really would act like in that certain situation.  
_

* * *

"Are you sure about doing this?" Dylan said in the cold of the winter morning. "Wouldn't they worry?"

"It's fine. It's just for a few days." Diego replied. "Right now, I want to have you all to myself."

Earlier that morning, Diego suggested that they would go on a honeymoon for three days away from the herd. Hearing the word honeymoon made clear to Dylan that he and Diego were now each others mate. In realization, part of him felt like he was still sleeping, living inside a wishful dream.

Too many things had happened the night before. Dylan was still anxious about all of it, despite everything ending for the better. Dylan's injury had healed completely. They could readily go back to the herd until Diego brought up the idea. And in all honesty, Dylan wanted to same thing.

The entire day, Diego took Dylan around the valley. The two spent their time together the way they wanted. Enjoying the sites of a mountain view, fishing the biggest catch in the river, ultimately leading to another swimming trip, the two enjoyed each others company.

At the end of the day, the two sat beside each other, fur half-wet and warm, watching the sunset. The two rested from today's activities, knowing that tomorrow would be another day they'd be spending together happily as a couple.

"Today was a blast," Diego said smiling, "I never really just went out and had some fun with someone. And it's great, getting to know you more."

"I feel the same way," Dylan smiled back, instinctively pressing a gentle kiss on Diego's cheek.

"I never really thought I'd be suited for all this settling down stuff but..." Diego scratched his head. "You know, just _being _with you, it... it's like you're the perfect catch."

Dylan raised his eyebrows. "The perfect... catch?" he said confusingly.

"Yeah. You're like... the best piece of meat- err" Diego quickly corrected himself. "I mean, the best tasting prey in a herd of deer."

"...so I'm prey?" Diego inquired with a serious tone.

"N-not exactly! It's just a figure of speech!" Diego cleared his throat, trying to get a hold of his banter. "Wh-what I'm trying to say that... you're the best saber I've ever met. I... I wouldn't ask for any other."

Dylan blushed at the statement, before chuckling about how much random effort Diego put into saying just that.

"Hey, don't laugh. I really did my best, you know," Diego said.

"Okay, okay," Dylan chortled before letting out a deep breath. Dylan stood up and faced against the cool gentle breeze coming from the mountains."But to be honest, even if we weren't each others' mate, we'd still be doing these kinds of things."

Diego got up as well. "What do you mean?"

"Playing, hunting, swimming - we've done those things before together haven't we?" Dylan explained. "Well, I'd never be this close to you but... we were _close,_ to a certain extent. If this is what a couple does then... all we haven't done before was kissing."

"Wow... I guess I never really thought about it that way," Diego replied. "But you're right. I did enjoy all those times together."

Dylan let out a soft sigh. "And even then, I might even have been satisfied with living on a lie. Because in the end, I'd still be near you. So long as I could see your smile, I thought... maybe that I could go on smiling too."

"Dylan..." His mate walked up beside him. Diego wanted to comfort him, but upon seeing his face, he saw instead not a frown but a gentle smile. Dylan's eyes glistening from the austere glow of the sunset.

"But to think that after being kicked away from my old pack, I would've already learned my lesson. My entire life, all I've been doing was running away from it all, running away from my father, my pack." Dylan explained. "And if I lived on like that, I'd be running away from the herd, from you, and from myself."

He turned to look at Diego. "But thanks to you... I think I'm strong enough now. Strong enough not run away." He turned to face Diego. "I don't want run away anymore."

Diego smiled, nuzzling his mate's soft cheek. "You know, we still have two more days before we head back."

"No reason to go slow though," Dylan chuckled. "Right now, I want to have you all to myself."

"We may be a couple now, but everything we've done so far really is the same as before," Diego replied. "You sure you wouldn't get bored?"

"Hmm... well, I'm sure you could make things more interesting," Dylan said, leaning closer towards his mate. "What else do couples do?"

"Well," Diego brought his face closer to Dylan's, his warm breath brushing across his whiskers, "there's kissing."

He closed his eyes and pressed his lips against Dylan's. Not planning to hold back, he immediately inserted his tongue. Dylan moaned from the sweet sensation of his tongue wrapping against Diego's. Dylan took a deep breath through his nose and reciprocated, putting more effort into moving his tongue. The two were literally tongue wrestling, tasting each others' breath. Each second making it more exciting than the last.

Despite Dylan not wanting it to end, Diego broke off their kiss. "And there's more to being a couple than just kissing," he said. Diego put both paws on Dylan's shoulders. He pushed him over and down onto his back.

"Diego, wha-" Dylan couldn't finish his statement when he let out a small moan as a result of Diego licking down his neck. "Nn- mmm...!"

His tongue tickling continued down Dylan's body. Upon reaching his chest, Diego paused and dug his muzzle into Dylan's fur. "Mmm... you're scent." Diego said after inhaling in. "You smell... really good..."

"D-don't say something so embarrassing...!" Dylan retorted, blood rushing to his ears as he blushed profusely.

"Aaannd, for the main course-" Diego went straight down the bottom. He had a bird's eye view Dylan's pink appendage softly peeking out his sheath. Dylan was caught in a blank state of mind, too flustered to think straight. That simply let Diego doing what he wanted to. "Not too happy to see me, huh? Guess it needs a little... encouraging?"

The sabertooth tiger dug his tongue down inside Dylan's sheath, tracing against his appendage. Dylan instantly let out a loud moan, blood rushing elsewhere in his body. Diego skillfully prodded around his tool, making it throb and engorge, quickly coaxing it to full size.

"Diego..." Dylan was blushing profusely as always. His tongue lolled out as he started breathing at a quicker pace.

"Getting into it now, aren't you?" Diego grinned, Dylan's raging hard-on being inexcusable evidence.

"Nf-no fair. I... haven't even seen yours yet," Dylan muttered. His honesty making Diego blush.

"Y-you're too cute!" he blurted. Fulfilling his mate's demands, Diego walked across Dylan's body still lying back on the ground. He stopped to meet his crotch in front of Dylan's head. "Well then, I'll leave it you."

Dylan caught site of Diego's thick appendage already out of his sheath. It still wasn't at full size, and it was already comparable to his raging erection. Eager to see it fully bursting with life, and eager to have a taste, he pressed the tip to his lips and let it's length slide in. The warm sensation wrapping around his member certainly had the desired effect. With the dick inside his mouth, he rolled his tongue around while continuing to let its length slide in and out of his mouth.

"Ah- ffu-, you're really good at this," Diego grunted in pleasure, placing his paw behind Dylan's head. Despite his thick rod fully erect, Dylan had no trouble fitting it in his muzzle. Judging from how he couldn't fit the entire length, Diego's size was surely impressive.

Dylan lapped up the slightly salty taste of Diego's pre-cum pouring excitedly. He sucked, licked, and bobbed his head as much as he could for Diego's pleasure. He strangely found pleasure in doing it as well. His own member secreting an almost equally copious amount.

"_I might come soon if this keeps up_," Diego thought. He turned his attention to Dylan's own erection. He turned around, making his member inside Dylan's mouth twist pleasurably. Fighting the giddy sensation it brought about, Diego tucked down towards to Dylan's leaking appendage. "Two can play at this game," he grinned before unhesitatingly took it into his maw.

The abrupt warm sensation found Dylan moaning in pleasure, though he couldn't exactly voice it out as his muzzle was busy with something else. Diego skillfully traced his tongue across the length, sucking it, teasing the tip, and sliding it across the walls of his mouth. Not wanting to lose to Dylan, Diego did it in a faster and more forceful pace. Dylan could barely go back to his own job being distracted by Diego and all. Diego's long appendage stayed wet and warm inside his mouth.

Diego could feel an intense throbbing with his tongue. Expecting what to come, he took the length inside his mouth as best he could. No longer being able to hold back, Dylan moaned loudly upon reaching climax. His shaft releasing a copious amount of semen, with Diego drinking it all in. After a few moments, Diego licked up his member one last time.

"That was..." said Diego, licking his lips with the taste of sperm in his mouth, "more fun than I expected." He could feel Dylan's warm breath closely on his shaft.

Diego moved out of the way as Dylan tried to sit up. "For someone who'd just considered being gay," Dylan said, "you sure know what you were doing."

"I didn't, really," Diego said. "I just know what I want." He leaned towards him for a short kiss. Diego's still enthusiastic appendage prodding against Dylan's. "A man ought to know."

He pressed his lips for another short kiss, though longer than the first.

"Dylan," he said. "Could we... do it instead?"

"_Do it?_" Given the situation, the only thing they haven't gone far to was...

"You mean..." Dylan muttered, flicking his tail near his tail hole.

Diego simply nodded. "You don't want to? We could just keep going as it is," he said.

"I-it's okay! I want to, but- I'm just not sure if I could..." Dylan imagined the prospect of having such a large thing inside him.

"We don't need to rush it," Diego said. "Let's just take it slow. I want our first to be special."

"As long as it's with you..." Dylan smiled at him. "I'll go with you to the end."

Dylan gave Diego another deep kiss. His heart was pumping so hard he could hardly stay calm. "T-turn around," Diego said, and Dylan followed through on all fours. Diego stared at Dylan's ass before holding both paws on his hips. Diego seemed as anxious as Dylan was.

"Gotta loosen you up first, 'else it won't work." Dylan could feel Diego's moist nose sniffing his behind. The scent of his rump was strangely exciting to Diego. Dylan let out a loud yip when he felt a wet slimy sensation run across his tail hole. Diego ran the wideness of his tongue up and down Dylan's rump. He held with on paw Dylan's tail up and traced circles around his hole. The sensation sent ecstatic shivers across his body. Diego then began to prod his tongue inside Dylan's rump.

Dylan held his throat back to prevent from moaning too loud. Diego's wet appendage forced it's way in and stretched him out. He could feel Diego's tongue massaging his inner muscles pleasurably. He couldn't help letting out soft moans as Diego's tongue went deeper inside him. The act seemed peculiar to Diego at first, but he began to like serving Dylan this way. It oddly tasted good.

Upon rubbing a certain part with the tip of his tongue, Dylan suddenly let out a moan louder than the first few. Noticing his cute reactions, Diego continued to prod his tongue onto that part. Dylan continued to moan and gasp. Despite going down from his previous climax, Dylan's appendage quickly rose back to life. The act also excited Diego, who was leaking more pre than he was before.

Dylan seemed happy enough to keep going like this, but there was more fun to come when Diego pulled his mouth back. "I think you're ready," Diego said.

Not sparing a moment of hesitation, Diego got up and mounted over Dylan. His hard thick shaft warming against the surface of Dylan's rump. Diego noticed a slight shiver of agitation coming from Dylan. He waited for him to relax a bit. Dylan could feel Diego's large erection tapping on his behind and anticipated its arrival. He raised his tiny tail up as high as it would go. When he finally felt Dylan was ready, Diego began to push his dick forward.

With only the tip inside, Dylan was already biting his lips. Diego's shaft was definitely bigger than his tongue. His sizeable girth was definitely something. Letting a few seconds Diego clenched his paws around his belly as he began to insert his member. Diego could feel Dylan tremble in pain and shook as it slowly entered him. Dylan groaned as it inched inside him. A few more inches he thought it'd be over, but there always seemed to be a few more inches still left.

Finally, Diego's shaft hilted all the way in. "I-it's all in." Dylan felt an immense pain as his throbbing shaft was forcibly tearing him up, going limp from the pain. Diego paused inside him despite the tightness tempting him to rub against it. "Try to relax. I'll just stay like this until you get used to it."

Dylan nodded as he tried to let his inner muscles relax. He took deep shallow breaths to hasten the process. Dylan nodded one more time, signalling Diego he was ready.

"Okay, I'll start moving now. I'll try to be slow at first..." Diego slowly pulled back, Dylan's inner muscles clamping him down. Once only the tip was inside, Diego quickly pushed back.

"Aah!" Dylan let out a loud pleasurable moan. Diego again pulled back slowly and pushed forward at twice the speed. Dylan's inner muscles massaging his shaft made him shiver in ecstasy. His continuous leaking of pre-cum served as lubricant, making his passage in and out easier. After a few more repetitions of slow insertion, the lingering pain began to be replaced with intense sensual gratification. Dylan became numb of the pain, and his body responded to the pleasure of Diego's dick shoving inside him. He was now as rock hard as Diego is.

"Ngh! Dylan- I can't hold back anymore!" Diego began to increase in speed and Dylan began to breathe faster. He started pumping himself in and out. His dick rubbed continually against a special spot that made Dylan moan and cry out.

"Ah! Ah! D-ngh-Diego...!" The two found themselves lost in a sea of flaming passion and burning desire, and they continued to sink deeper in each passing second of their delightful and erotic ritual. Diego hugged him tighter in his grip, and Dylan clamped his dick tighter inside him.

Dylan wished the moment would last forever. Adrenaline pumped through his veins and the night kept on. Diego showed no sign of stopping either. Diego's rhythm changed as his urge felt like it. He would go slow and would immediately begin to pick up his pace once again. He would momentarily let his entire appendage deep inside him and would lick Dylan's neck, tickling through his fur. It was obvious he liked him doing it.

"I-I'm getting close!" Diego let out.

"M-me too...!" Dylan said. "Diego... do it... inside me..."

Finally, Diego began to groan as he reached the edge. Dylan could feel his thick appendage enlarge inside him and all he could do was whimper as he knew he was reaching his limit as well. "D-Diego!" he moaned, and they both reached their climax as Diego filled him with hot seed. Dylan thumped down on the snow drained of energy and had nothing else in his mind but Diego. Diego thumped down beside him drained down to the bone, and all he had in mind was Dylan as well.

Diego pulled him closer towards him as they relaxed under the gaze of the moon. "I love you," Diego said in a soft voice, yet his words ringing in Dylan's ears withe every heartbeat.

"I love you too…" Dylan whispered breathlessly as well. He rubbed his nose towards his, and they ended up kissing one another once again. "So... does this mean you like all guys now?"

Diego looked at him. "I-I don't feel this way with all guys. Just... you." he explained. "You're special. I didn't know then, but I guess I never admitted to myself that I _did_ like you. I just thought it was some sort of deep friendship between each other as guys. But, well, when you told me how you felt... I guess that's what told me what it really was. I didn't care if you were a dude or girl. My feelings for you.. that's what's real."

"So, you don't really mind?" Dylan asked.

Diego simply chuckled. "I said I love you, didn't I?"

The two slowly closed their eyes as they drifted to sleep and they rested beside each other as each others mate. The world continued to revolve upon what looked like a fantasy, knowing that everything was real as he could ever imagine.


	8. Our Kind of Love

_A/N: Revised Edition. The ending was returned into a much preferred third-person view. That way, I wouldn't have to go through being restricted to merely Dylan's perspective.  
_

* * *

The day the two lovebirds came back was a day to be remembered.

"Where have you two been off to all this time?!" Ellie trumpeted in a half angry and half-worried tone. "We've been worried sick we thought something might have happened!"

The herd was in quite a stir. A stampede of questions were there to greet them upon their arrival. Many apologies were thrown and many promises were made to be kept.

"Peaches has been worried sick. Now you two deserve an explanation." Manny said.

"Now, now. Like I said there was nothing to worry about!" Sid chimed in. "They're two _tigers_. Psshh. I bet they can handle anything the world throws at 'em."

"Shouldn't we be worried about having two tigers _being_ around instead?" Crash chortled.

"That should make more sense if the other wasn't such a house cat," Eddie joked before sliding not towards Dylan but to Diego. "That's right, I'm talking about you, you cute lil' pussy cat-"

Diego cut Eddie's cooing off by sending him flying with the flick of his fingers.

"Where have you been gone to this whole time?" Peaches finally asked.

Dylan and Diego shared a glance at each other. Their slightly odd close affinity for each other seemed to be apparent to everyone.

They gave them their answer.

* * *

Dylan sat on the snow under the warm light of the sun. He smiled cheerfully as the birds passed chirping by in tuneful melody. He looked up at the bright blue sky, thinking about the events that had past for almost a year now. From the day he'd joined the herd, the day he was mated with Diego, and the day they told everyone the big new.

When they told them they were mated, they didn't look surprised at all. It was as if they were expecting something like that to happen. Manny and Sid might have pushed them both to be just friends, but they never really intended for them to become lovers. But despite their relationship, they didn't seem to care. In fact, they were rooting and celebrating, happy for them. Dylan was in a family who had accepted who he was.

Dylan had been running all this time, looking for someone to accept him for who he was. In the end, it didn't matter whoever it would have been. Because it wasn't just anyone else that he needed being accepted by. It was himself all along, who had needed to accept himself. All this time he had been running away from himself, and now he had faced the music.

People will always regard him as different. He always wanted to be recognized as nothing different from the everyone else. Now, he's realized that he _was_ different. That falling for another male was indeed beyond normal.

But there was nothing wrong with being different. Dylan may be different, but he was a person just the same. Being gay wasn't everything he was. It was just a part of him. The reality of it all is that we're all a little bit different from each other. And each difference we have is what makes us who we are.

Every day we grow and learn. And now the tides of time had continued to flow once again. Ebbing and flowing away, crashing onto the shores of life. The snowy leaves rustled in bushes, bits of snow shook and delicately fell like powder and out came the last tiger in the world that I'd ever want to leave.

"Hey!" greeted Diego before shaking off some snow on his fur.

"Hey," Dylan replied with a slightly bored tone. Diego simply rolled his hazel green eyes.

"I'm sorry. I think the words I was supposed to say were, 'Hello, darling'," Diego said with a soft verve at the end.

Dylan chuckled as he approached him gave him a short nuzzle. "That's fine too," Dylan winked.

"What is it with you and you're teasing?" Diego grinned, reciprocating Dylan's nuzzling.

The two broke off their sign of affection. "So what is it you wanted me to see?" Dylan asked.

Diego then turned and walked ahead. "It's a surprise. Just follow me!" he said.

"After spending so much time together? I'm not sure if I still _can_ be surprised," Dylan said.

"Just follow me, or else we'll miss it," Diego said. As he started to walk further off, Dylan went and caught up to him.

"_Miss it?_" Dylan pondered.

Diego led Dylan through a path through the snow-clad bushes. The snow crunched delightfully under Dylan's paws, and he couldn't help feeling giddy as he heard the snow crunch under Diego's as well. In this winter wonderland was surrounded by trees shaking off bits of snow in every unsuspecting moment. Dylan walked up and leaned against him, close enough that I could feel his heartbeat. Diego smiled, and leaned back.

That certainly didn't make the trip any easier. "_In fact, I think we walked a lot slower_." Dylan thought. But he enjoyed every moment of it nonetheless.

"You know, we never really had an official wedding," Diego said, initiating a conversation.

"A wedding? I think we've been wed long enough already, don't you think?" Dylan quipped. "We've already done things that mates normally do. I don't see the reason we should."

"Well the herd wants to see an actual ceremony. After all, we didn't even inform them of our own honeymoon, haven't we?" Diego winked.

"Shouldn't the wedding had happened _before_ the honeymoon?" Dylan said. "Or maybe you just want another reason to _have me all to yourself._"

"You're the best, you know that?" Diego chuckled. "Still, I think it's a great idea. After all, they say you'll never forget you're wedding day. I remember Manny and Ellie's wedding." Diego stopped on his tracks, recounting the entire event. "Boy... that was one hell of a fiasco."

"You're right... we definitely should have a wedding," Dylan smiled as he gave Diego a short peck on the cheek.

Out of all the things in his life, meeting Diego was the most important thing in his life. Everything great in his life followed after meeting him. Falling in love, finding himself - thinking through all this, Dylan could not help feel as if everything was all for him. As if he had not regarded anyone else's feelings.

He remembered confessing to Diego. What trouble would he have made had Diego not loved him at all? It was as if he'd pushed all his feelings onto Diego and forced it onto him. Dylan felt a pang of guilt as if he does not consider his own feelings.

The two kept walking as Dylan nudged towards Diego with a slightly worried look. "Hey, Diego," he called out.

"Hmm?" he replied. "What is it?"

"About… us," Dylan muttered. "Are you… really okay with this?"

"You're asking _that_ after so long?" Diego raised an eyebrow.

"I'm serious," Dylan replied in an earnest tone.

"What exactly are implying that's _not_ okay?" Diego asked.

"About _us_," Dylan repeated, but tried to explain further. "Diego, you seem like the guy who could snatch up any girl if he wanted to. And choosing me… are you really just content with that?"

Diego looked to the side and thought for a bit. Not a few seconds later however, he turned back to Dylan with a firm answer.

"I didn't just choose a guy as a mate," he said. "I chose a person that was funny, caring, putting others than himself, brutally optimistic-" he said as he emphasized the last two words," –but most of all I chose a person that deep down, I just knew. I just knew that… this was the person I was meant to be with. That this person, I could not live without."

Then, he leaned even closer towards me, catching my eyes as he looked at me. "You're the person I fell in love with. And there's nothing that anyone can do to change that."

From just that, Dylan felt like a cold block of ice inside his heart had melted away. Tears were about to form before he wiped his paw over his face. Dylan smiled back and couldn't helping launching himself with a hug.

"Even though I'm a guy?" he asked.

"Yep," Diego answered.

"Even though I have a... sheath and two balls? They're not exactly something that could give you children." Dylan said.

"Well, it's just natural to be attracted to the body of the person you love. I love _you_, Dylan," Diego said. "And nothing will ever change that."

"Wouldn't you want to have kids?" Dylan asked.

"We could always just adopt someday," Diego winked. "Save some other endangered species."

Dylan let out a sudden chuckle. He smiled and rested his head on Dylan's neck as they walked onwards. He had forgotten the entire reason why Diego had been leading him through the forest. He was only reminded of it when Diego finally spoke out.

"We're here," he said as stopped on his tracks, pointing to a set of trees and bushes that cover up the animal path ahead.

Dylan looked around and every patch of bush or leaf looked the same as the ones we passed by earlier. There were no other animal paths around other than the one in front. "What's through there?" Dylan asked.

"Let's find out!" he smiled as he jumped through the thick branches in the way. Dylan leaped as pressed through the branches, closing his eyes to prevent his eyes from being pricked. Upon opening his eyes, Dylan was in a familiar scenery, yet he couldn't exactly put where they were.

"Don't tell me you forgot?" he said. Dylan shrugged innocently. Diego sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Am I really that helpless?" Dylan asked shamefully.

"Sometimes. But I don't mind," Diego answered, "I kind of find your expected naivety to be really cute."

"So that's what you're into." Dylan replied.

He chuckled. "I just like you the way you are."

Dylan became strangely flattered. He wanted to kiss him, but Diego put a paw finger on my lips. "Just close your eyes for a minute and you'll find out."

His mate kept on wondering what would happen in just a minute but followed his directions. Dylan could feel Diego's presence going around as he sat and wait. After a few rounds, he finally told Dylan to open them.

Dylan opened his eyes to see Diego's face was only an inch away from his. "Was this your big surprise?" Dylan asked. Diego just kept on smiling and walked sideways to reveal what was behind him.

Dylan's brown eyes glazed as the images unfolded in front of me. He saw beautiful yellow lights twinkling in the atmosphere. Fairy-esque lights dazzlingly flying in the air - streaming gracefully as they formed ripples in a lake below. He hardly noticed the lake as the white snow surrounding it by reflection made it almost impossible to see. Weightless petals basked in moonlight. Dylan lowered his jaw in awe as I finally remembered what it was all about. I never realized it had been that long.

Suddenly, snow began to fall and dropped onto the lake. Gentle snowflakes danced around with the yellow petals, the wind blowing them gently around the lake. A sweet ballet that bended and danced. The very lake became alive.

"Remember now?" Diego asked. Dylan turned around without a moment of hesitation and jumped onto him.

"Of course I do!" Dylan yelled while sitting on top of him. He shoveled his head under his neck, a bit teary eyed. "It's-"

"The day we met," Diego continued. "I knew this place would mean a lot more to me than I thought. Just, I didn't expect it to be like this."

Dylan suddenly realized something and lifted my head from his neck. "I thought you were going to bring the herd here next time?" he asked.

"I asked them about this without telling you," he replied. "I told them that I'd bring them here the time after, but for now I just wanted you along. They didn't seem to mind."

Dylan calmed down, or somewhat did, and shoveled his head under Diego's chin again. Dylan just wanted to wrap himself around him. Diego embraced his arms around Dylan and brought him closer towards him. The two had almost forgotten that the enchanting fairytale-like scenery around them.

Dylan could finally say he was no longer running away. But the distance he'd ran away from, he'd have to run back to one day.

But for now, all he could think was to be deeply in love with the man who wants to spend the rest of life with.

"I love you, Dylan," he said. And no matter how many times he says it, he still feels warm inside. That statement never got old. No… it never will.

"I love you too, Diego" Dylan replied, pressing his lips into Diego's.

Maybe this won't last forever.

Maybe things might get worse.

But I know it couldn't get any better than this.

_**To be continued in...  
**_

* * *

_**Love Unprejudiced**_


End file.
